Every three months starting Jan1st, I perform what’s called performance reviews with the members of my sales team at work…. 14 members with various skills, personalities, attitudes and such. These reviews… that I’m sure many of you reading this at some time in your life, has had them and probably dreaded having them. I actually look forward to them because after I give them, my team members have the same opportunity to critique my performance and areas, which they feel, I need to improve in. I have a motto…among many, which goes like so…”if you don’t grow (improve), you die”. I have three more reviews to do next week. For the next three months, my key job is to help realize my team member’s individual goals and to develop their key areas of weaknesses (as well as mine) into strengths.

Since I was doing reviews at work, I though it would be beneficial to give myself a performance review as it relates to the BTD. I thought I would break down the Type O food groups and related portions to see where I needed improvement or not…. here goes:

Meat and Poultry 4- 6x/week: Here is where I score high marks for it is very easy for type O’s to stay away from avoids in this group when there is only 4…bacon, pork, goose and ham. I can’t remember the last time I had any of these avoids in the last 12 months. Every week I’ll have 4 to 6 portions made up of beef, lamb, veal and chicken with the odd serving of liver.

Seafood 3-5x/week: Since my fish market near by closed down, my fish consumption has slightly gone down because I like buying it fresh instead of frozen (don’t like the polyamines which comes from freezing anything that is protein based). I eat fish maybe two times a week and it’s usually salmon and whitefish. I need to get back to my 3 to 5 servings a week pace when my fish market was running. I’m going to make a effort to improve on my fish consumption in the next three months. I do the odd time, usually at a hockey game in the private spectator boxes, have smoked salmon which is an avoid (I have to quit smoking………… my salmon)

Eggs and Dairy 3 – 4 x/week: I love eggs and usually eat 4 to 6 a week which maybe high but I love them for breakfast usually poached or hard-boiled. As for cheeses, all I eat is goat cheese, usually for breakfast once a week and the odd (once every 3 months) piece of cheesecake (big avoid because it is hard to digest for us O’s but a few digestive enzymes after eating some and I’m no worse for wear). Other than that, cows are pretty sacred in my home and they do not touch my pallet in the form of milk, yogurt or cheese. I’ve got this food group licked (excuse the ice cream pun) even with the odd cheese dessert.

Oil and fats 4-8x/week: I have two oils in my kitchen…Olive and Flaxseed, nothing else. If I have a salad out at a restaurant I always ask for olive oil only with some lemon juice and a pinch of salt. I’m good here. I have either oil at least once a day. I think I should buy some canola oil for the odd frying

Nuts and seeds 3– 4x/week: It’s this category that I think I eat too much of. I have almond butter and pumpkin butter in my fridge and every week I roast either almonds or pumpkin seeds and cover them with wheat free tamari sauce and I take them to work for mid morning and afternoon snacks (I’ve been getting many people coming around my desk lately asking for some). I usually spread the nut butters on spelt toast and cover it with some cherry or blueberry jam 2 to 3 times a week for breakfast. I am over my 3 to 4 servings. I love nuts (and nut butters) especially walnuts. I know eating a lot of raw nuts is very hard on the pancreas because nuts have enzyme inhibitors in them; hence they are hard to break down. That is why I roast them (except walnuts) because this destroys the enzyme inhibitors. I still question to this day which way is better so I’m going to cut my consumption down a notch.

Beans and legumes 1 -2x/weekly: I have two beans in my pantry and they are dried: Adzuki and black eye peas: I always make these beans with a lamb or veal based chili. These beans really agree with me because the fiber they contain makes it real easy for me to “clean myself out”. I’m good on this category because I’ll have one serving of beans a week, no more

Cereals 2 – 3x/ week: Easy category because I only eat cereal at home for breakfast 2 to 3 times a week, usually spelt flakes (expensive thing) or Rice Crispies, usually with soy milk (the kind without additives like carrageen or vitamins added) and blueberries or banana on top. I had spelt cereal with fresh figs this week and it was ‘figlicious’…you have to try it .

Bread and Muffins 0 – 3x/daily: I have yet to try Essene or Ezekial bread because I have yet to find a brand that is made with 100% sprouted wheat. My breads of choice are spelt and rye and I usually go through 10 slices a week usually with the nut butters, beneficial jams or sandwiches with tuna. I never order sandwiches when I eat out…very hard to get non wheat bread in fast food or restaurant chains.



Grains and Pasta 0 – 3x/week: I’ve read many blogs where my fellow O’s have trouble with any type of starch, even rice. Rice or rice pasta doesn’t give me any trouble and I usually eat it 4 to 6x a week. I feel if I didn’t, I would loose more weight. I’m a little hyper metabolic (my thyroid is not hyperactive, if you’re wondering) and the starch slows me down a bit. It’s a good fuel source for me especially when I eat it 5hours before I go out for a bike ride. Pizza and wheat pasta occasionally show their ugly faces from time to time, but they do usually when I am somewhere where I have no other choice…like at a family gathering or social event.

Vegetable 3 – 5x/ day: If there was a category that needs improvement on my part, it’s this one. I’m lucky if I get 3 servings a day. With so many to choose from, I find buying produce for one person can be a waste of money. I find myself throwing away a lot because it goes bad (usually because the sizes of some of the vegetable sold, would take more than a few days for one person to finish eating. That is still a sad excuse for not eating more vegetables. Easiest thing for me to do is cut up some celery and buy baby carrots and take them to work each day for a snack.



Fruits 3 – 4x/daily: I like fruit in the morning and I think it’s the best time to eat it when your stomach is empty. I don’t eat it on a full stomach. I usually fall asleep if I do or feel drunk (apparently if you eat it after a large meal, the fruit sits in your stomach and ferments into fruit alcohol). Mango, blueberries, bananas and figs when in season are the first things that enter my mouth in the morning. As for 3 to 4 servings a day, it’s a hit and miss for me. I like taking plums/prunes to work and dried figs when in season. I get severely mocked by my peer’s when they see m eating prunes at work. There is a stigma about prunes that if you’re eating them you must be constipated. Otherwise this area could use a little improvement.

Juice and Fluids 2 – 3x/day: I have a juicer and I love making fresh pineapple (love the bromelien), grapefruit (great alkaline drink especially for O’s even though many consider it acidic) and carrot juice on a daily basis. I usually have one serving for breakfast and almost always carrot juice 30 minutes before dinner. The only store bought juice I buy is prune and I usually mix it with soda water for a satisfying drink. Of course good water is a daily requirement and I drink about 36 ounces throughout the day preferably on an empty stomach

Spices, Condiments, herbal teas, Misc Beverages: I really only have one soft spot when it comes to any one of these categories and it’s coffee…usually the espresso variety. I’ll have two servings a week usually on the weekend after dinner. It’s only 2 ounces a servings and the caffeine is a third less than the regular drip variety. It’s not so much it contains lectins but rather it causes excess acid production in the stomach which is already high for O’s. I’m not willing to give it up completely. During the week it’s green tea, only 10 oz day. Caffeine has always been my Achilles heal…it makes me a bit edgy if over consumed so I consume it in moderation.

This blog is getting long so I’ll end it here. For part two, I’m going to give you my general observations as to why some people (including myself sometimes) perform poorly on the diet.

Stay tuned

Saturday and sunshine. The two appear to have been incompatible for what seems forever.

A relatively dry week has allowed me to spend two or three hours pottering in the garden this morning. I have missed being able to get out amongst the plants what with wet weekends or a wet week making it impossible to garden.

I’ve taken the netting of the broad beans today, they are now standing about a foot high and should be strong enough to deal with the threat of hungry sparrows etc.

A general hoe and weed around the vacant beds and I’ve dug some of the more mature green manure crop in to let it break down before we start planting in Spring. Sue has just put the first punnets of early lettuce and rocket into our little hot house to germinate.

The leeks and parsnips I dug today are superb, although this years crop of celeriac is a disappointment. They are not putting on any size at all. May be down to the fact we used old seed from the previous year. You should always start your garden with fresh seed.

We get nearly all our seed from the Gippsland Seed Company in Victoria. We place one order a year usually in early June, this years order was approx. $100 AUD and will give us all our fresh vegetables from the garden for the next 12 months.

We took our old galvanized water tank to the recycling center after lunch, maybe someone with a bit of DIY skill can turn it into something useful. Despite Sue’s encouragement there was no way I was going to attempt what she suggested I do with it. (No not that !!!)

A brisk walk after that and it looks like the sun has gone for the day. Despite hints of spring there is still another good month of winter to come, so let’s not get coerced into any major garden works to early.

Hedges in the front garden need trimming, typical they’re in flower so I’m banned from touching them yet. A couple of mature shrubs look like they’ve had a bit of a touch up from some of the severe frosts of the past two weeks. Hopefully they’ll recover.

I wonder what blood type they are, maybe I could feed them all beneficial food

Very glad that it's Friday - very glad that the summer is almost over and that September is coming. I am a Pre-K teacher but during the summer, our center does not close down but has an afterschool program for children 5-15. And it's very disorganized and I have to be prepared with work/activities for any one of them, at any time, since no one seems to have a definate schedual. This makes my life very hard and, as I see it, unfair. I will never be doing this again. Too much stress, definately not enough staff (there never is at these places) and definately not enough supplies. To boot, they keep them indoors most of the time since we're in the city (no fields like where I grew up). All in all, it's very dis-heartening. If this school doesn't give me my own classroom next year, (when I'm back to just the 4 year olds) I will have to leave. It's simply not worth the enormus amount of stress this past month in particular. I have to be able to organize things my way or I'll go crazy.....Then again, I'm their favorite teacher, (I was actually told last Friday but kind of had an inkling all along), so it's not all bad. Last Friday was also my worst day though - it was like one of those afterschool specials that you think is just too corny to really happen. I won't go into too much detail but after the entire classroom was finished sobbing, including myself (I know, I'm not supposed to cry in front of the kids but I couldn't help it), the 3rd and 4th graders and I have a very special bond. It ended up being a very cathartic lunch for everyone involved. And yeah, they still respect me. The one girl who always gave me the most trouble is now my biggest ally in trying to get the kids quiet and under control. It's amazing what people will do once you've reached out and touched them.

What have I been eating.....let me try to think....

Lemon water, as usual and I've been having some organic millet cereal or an egg before rushing off to work. My lunch this summer has to be taken very late - @ 1:30 or 2:30 depending on the day so this is really bad for the AB who needs food on time and frequently. So, I've been keeping healthy snacks in my purse to munch on while I'm still supervising the kids. Usually rice cakes or dried pineapple, sometimes peanuts or walnuts or dried apples. Basically whatever I remember to grab from the cabinet as I rush off in the morning. It pays off. It tides me over until I can get to my real food. Hurrah!!! No longer tempted to eat the school ravioli or other unhelathy surprises anymore. :-) Lunch has usually been tuna fish sandwhich or PB & J (no corn syurp or avoids and on ezekiel bread of course) or chinese. The steamed veggies with brown rice plus egg drop soup is delicious and just a 10 minute walk from work. Makes life yummy. Remember AB's - all rice (unless saturated in an avoid, ie pork) is BENEFICAL so, eat up!

Dinner has been a hodge podge - been eating some more frozen organic veggies, like green beans and broccoli, cooked up some turkey wings tonight for myself and had sushi the night before. Chirashi. Very yummy - sashimi on a bowl of sweet rice. Sushi places are very good about substituting things if you tell them you have an allergy. I've been avoiding the octopus, eel, shrimp and avocado myself. Not always easy to do but most places will be glad to try and help with your diet.

My O is sick - I've been feeding him the larch and his fever broke quite early today (he just started to feel oogy yesterday evening) Knock on wood, I've not gotten his sickness, yet.....hope it's all my supplements paying off!

Ok... I'm almost out of food. All I have left is a bunch of vegetables for juicing, a bunch of amaranth that I've been making flower out of, a carton of soy milk, three yellow onions, a bunch of frozen blueberries, and a big thing of grapefruit juice... How am I gonna get rid of this stuff?



Just about there... Scary. Going to start the master cleasne right then. My mom and dad are freaked out about it... If they only knew... Mom is also mad as I will be fasting over my birthday/ We have gone out to eat on my birthday every year for many years... Not this time I guess... Perhaps it's an oppurtunity to do something else fun... Go see a movie or a comedy show... I dunno.

Juice this morning was beet greens, broccoli, carrots, ginger, garlic, spinach, green onion, parsley, cilantro, and celery. Mase three servings as always. One a bit before each meal.

Breakfast lunch and dinner are all the same today. Yay! What variety... Tempeh with sea veggies, amaranth flour, blueberries, olive oil, soy milk, and a ton of condiments/seasonings. Added some peanut butter and a bit of black strap mollasses too...

Oh yeah... I have 2 apricots for later too... That'll be a treat... Eat your pits! Later gang...

This past weekend, the boyfriend and I were hoping to pick berries. That did not happen as the berry farm closed down early due to too much rain this summer. Acting on instinct, he turned his vehicle east toward Milwaukee and decided we should go to the Milwaukee Art Museum. It was SPECTACULAR!

Now, Grubster, being an O, isn't very good at avoiding bread. In fact, we went to Atlanta Bread Company and bought a loaf of baguette. We ate this on the road trip along with buttah. Needless to say, all that white bread is wreaking havoc on my gut.

I tried his chicken earlier last week. He added so many ingredients that I can't even remember all he added. The kelp was surprisingly tasty in the mix. I've never seen someone use a crock pot as much as he does.

OK, back to the art museum. If you ever come to the Midwest, this is would be a great stop. The museum is located right on Lake Michigan. It's just gorgeous. The art is nice. Mostly, I enoyed the feature artist who paints nature scenes of Northern Wisconsin. I'll have to find out his name again....otherwise, if you are interested, you should check out the webpage...

I just finished after many long car rides listening to the DaVinci Code. There really is something about Mary......Magdalene. At Barnes and Noble, I've seen a lot of books to dispute the author's conspiracy theory. Everyone wants to know what is truth and what is legend. How woman has become "evil" when female energy used to be just that...female, not evil.

I think if I lived five hundred years ago, I'd be considered a witch. I'd be burned. I've always been extremely interested in new age stuff. Instead, I'm just stuck in a pharmgirl land in the 21st Century.

Really, not all that interested in food as a topic today, but more interested in thinking about herbs. I picked up an interesting book on herbs for women. I find it strange that every election year, there is all this talk on abortion in the political ring. All these doctors being killed. What I find fascinating is that all you have to do to have an abortion is give yourself the right herbs. I don't want to talk about whether it's legal or even moral, but that anything you need to know is right there in the bookstore!!!! I mean, really, it's simplier than that. Ever read HAMLET?? There are many theories surrounding Ophelia's monologue where she mentions a few herbs that act as emenogogues. Some critics believe she was pregnant.

The same book also talks about how to save a potential miscarriage. How to curb PMS, how to support your pregnancy with the right herbs, and how to cure diaper rash on your baby. I can't say I'd ever take abortificent drugs myself based on my own belief system that life is precious. But I wouldn't tell others what to do with their bodies and lives except hope that they choose life. OK, I really need to quit watching CNN.

Herbs, chemicals, drugs, whatever category you put these structures into, I'm amazed (and that's why I became a pharmacist in the first place) that it only takes a few milligrams or even micrograms of a substance to create life (clomid, etc.) or destroy life (poisons) or prevent life (in the case of birth control).

Even with what I do know after all these years, I'm still amazed. I take seriously the power of chemicals. I treat them with respect. Despite the entanglements of (mis)managed care. That's all for now....

After years of working in the nineteenth, possibly early twentieth century we finally look like we are going to network all the computers in our office.

For years it has been deemed ‘too hard’, there have been logistical and cost issues based around the age of the building etc.

Looks like we will get two new servers, one Windows based and one Unix based for our proprietary software.

We need a couple of new computers around the place with the exception of mine, which is only a couple of months old.



To get round the problems that held us back previously we are going with a wireless network. I can’t wait.

Because we are located 10km outside the city of Devonport we have been unable to get broadband Internet access. Telstra the Australian telecommunications supplier tell us we should have broadband by the end of this year. This will allow us to network our two other branches back to head office here.

Finally be able to control the little bar stewards in the branches and get them to run a decent structured filing system. Type A personality shining through.

I know it’s all basic computer network stuff, but when the system you are currently using is that old you have to pedal to keep the lights on anything new on the horizon is welcome.

English football season starts in a fortnight with my team Wolverhampton Wanderers one of the favourites to win promotion from the Coca Cola Football League Championship.

First game is on August 8th against Stoke City and works out to be 9:15pm Sunday Australian time. I’ll listen to it live via the Internet.

I’m just about back to eating normally after my encounter with the dentist although why they design tooth cavities to be exactly the same size as cooked rice is beyond me.

Keep on rinsing.

Damn... I was just about ready to start that Master Cleanse I've been rambling about and I screwed it up. I bought a bunch of groceries today... But I didn buy the stuff to do it with! Grade B orgabic maple syrup, cayenne pepper (avoid for A's), unrefined sea salt, and laxative tea (senna based). All I have to do now is finish the supplement regimen I'm on, finish the groceries I got, and get some fresh organic lemons... LOTS of them. This part will prove to be difficult around here...

Baked two salmon fillets this morning after juicing. Carrots, celery, broccoli, ginger, garlic, mustard greens, beet greens, cilantro, and parsley were all on the bill. Had salmon doused with amaranth flour (ground the amaranth myself ina coffee grinder) with juicer pulp surprise (pulp mixed with all sorts of beneficial condiments) for breakfast and lunch. Ate some peanut butter too...

Dinner was a third block of tempeh w/sea vegetables and an avocado. Yum! More of that home made amaranth flour. Excellent for colon health you know! The lectin in amaranth helps the friendly A immune system to identify and fight colon cancer cells. Had a snack of two apricots and a hanful of blue berries an hour before dinner.

To answer a few Q's.

Bragg's liquid aminos are far better for you than soy sauce. Bragg's is wheat free, not fermented, organic, no additives, non GMO, no sodium or alcohol added. And it tastes great! You can find it at most any health food/grocery store if you look... Try some! I like the 'lil spray bottles.

Tracy. Fret not! It can take a long time, especially for us A's, to adapt to this new way of eating. Beans, whole grains, soy, nuts, dried fruit, and seeds, etc. are all pretty lacking in the standard American diet. Hence, you're body is likely totally unfamiliar w/them! Give your body time to adapt to the beneficial changes you are making. Make sure you are taking a good probiotic twice a day, and a good plant based digestive enzyme untill things calm down. Stick to the portion reccomendations, and try some simple food combining too. You WILL get past the tummy trouble.



Best of luck to EVERYONE! Later gang... Not spell checking this... So there!

Ahhhhhhhh.....I'm so upset.

I won't talk specific politics online - this is a place about food and diet, not my personal opinions on something has passionate and sensitive as American politics right now. Let me just say that I just found out today that the man I was going to vote for, my dark horse, my modern day Jeff Smith as Jimmy Stewart portrayed in "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington," has finally dropped out and thrown his support for someone I don't really support; for, in my mind a modern day "Taylor Machine." I wonder how much money they bribed him with? I wonder if he just got tired of trying? I wonder if they threatened his life? Or maybe just a cushy position once said candidate wins. (supposedly) So, I'm eating comfort food (Terra Blue Potato Chips - matches my mood) and watching a live feed online. So much great talk. My dark horse talked a moving piece but is no longer running. What a shame.....not like the powers that be would ever let him get elected anyway but having someone to vote for that you actually BELIEVE will do a good job is important.

So, regardless of your politcal preference this year, please, vote with your heart. Don't vote for someone you don't believe in. Vote for someone you have faith in. If you have faith in the two major political parties....good for you, go ahead - do what your heart tells you to do. If you don't - don't be swayed by "Oh, I have to or else it won't count." If enough people voted the way they felt instead of out of fear, things might be a lot different.

I'm done ranting. I hope you all don't send me hate mail. I tried to make this as non partisan as possible (although I'm sure most of you can tell ;-)

The great move is over! Well, almost over. Most of the boxes have been opened, the kitchen items have been found and mostly put away, and order is coming out of the chaos. The day of the move was wonderful, a comfortable 23C with clear skies and low humidity. It was just what I’d been praying for, following a week of high humidity and much warmer temperatures. When all was unloaded and the rented truck returned, the four of us (my housemate and I and his two cheerfully helping friends) got on the subway and headed east to a newly opened Turkish restaurant on the Danforth, a Greek/Turkish enclave in Toronto.

The food was excellent. I had a doner dinner plate, thinly sliced lamb roasted with beef, sliced raw onions mixed with fresh parsley leaves, some lettuce. I left the bulgar on my large plate and donated the freshly made (wonderful-looking) flat bread to one of my hungrier friends. My companions, all A blood type, ate huge plates of meat very happily. They are reasonably new arrivals from Turkey, and this was comfort food for them, since they don’t get to eat Turkish food too often these days. One had the doner plate, the same as mine, and two ordered the beef dinner. A large part of my self discipline was the task of allowing them to enjoy their food without telling them it was an avoid meal. We all ordered a glass of ayran, the yogurt/garlic drink which is so beneficial, and dessert as well. Three of us ordered sutlac, rice pudding cooked in milk with a thick creamy topping. The fourth ordered something whose name I’ve forgotten, a type of very fine noodle cooked into a flat cake loaded with so much sugar that it oozed onto the plate. I tasted a very tiny corner of this delicacy to see what it was like. It was crunchy and very sugary, the strands of noodle very thin, really of the consistency of threads. This was followed by glasses of Turkish tea. In between serving food, our cheerful waiter visited with us, telling us various interesting things. I was able to enjoy what I’d eaten without problems such as headache or major fatigue, which I always consider a major accomplishment. Since there were no vegetarian options on the menu, this restaurant would be perfect for B and O blood types (unless you are Turkish and need to eat familiar food, even if it’s avoid for your type). The food was fresh and delicious, the atmosphere scrupulously clean and welcoming.

One of the friends who helped with the move spent most of the trip to the restaurant asking me about the BTD. A young man, he is starting to carry a little extra weight and feeling a little uncomfortable. We’d talked earlier about the fact that my housemate had weighed 180 lb. when he arrived in Canada almost four years ago. After I talked him into eating for his blood type, his weight easily fell to 155 lb., which he maintains effortlessly. I think one of the things that created the sudden interest in the BTD was the statement I made about my housemate being able to eat as much as he liked without gaining weight. How did I get him to eat for his blood type? I made soup for him using black beans, garlic, onion and mushrooms one evening. He ate it that night and took the rest home. He called the next day to thank me for the beneficial meal. He could really feel the difference physically after eating something beneficial. Since that day, he has thanked me at least once a month, often much more often, for introducing the BTD to him. If he goes off the diet, he instantly gains weight, which helps keep him devoted to his beneficial foods. When I went away in February for four days, he had a little holiday from the BTD (and my watchful eyes) and gained four pounds! It's a good reminder for him just how important the BTD is for his well-being.

On Sunday I was not my usual cheerful self, bordering on the edge of grumpiness, which lasted too long. I was really exhausted from packing, cleaning the new home the week before (everything was dirty) and the move itself, and although I’d eaten largely beneficial foods the day before, the sugar in my dessert was not a good idea. My spirits revived enormously when I ate a fresh mango mixed with organic yogurt in the early afternoon. I know, mango is only neutral for B blood type. It’s my psychological compensation for the loss of avocados and persimmons when I started on the BTD, both of which I loved passionately, together with mangos. I am grateful that I can still eat mangos here and there during the summer months when they are so plentiful. I am happy to not eat avocados and persimmons if they are among the many items that created my physical discomforts, pre BTD. The comfort food aspect of being able to eat the mango at all, combined with the yogurt made a definite dent in my edginess that I could feel instantly. I also left the mess of boxes and chaos behind me a couple of times to make a visit to the local grocery store to buy food for the coming week, and later on to walk around my new neighbourhood. It’s like living in a huge park. The houses are old and well established, with large trees and wonderfully landscaped properties. We found the entrance to the ravine, but did not enter just yet. Nearby is a huge park stretching out into the ravine. As my housemate commented, we have bought a neighbourhood, not just a home.

Yesterday I made my first trip to the library of choice, a large, comfortable old building across the street from the T’ai Chi centre, which I also visited. My teacher of many years ago was there, teaching a class that I will join on Tuesday afternoons in September after Labour Day. I need to learn the entire set once again, and I look forward to this addition to my daily routine. Joan, my teacher, greeted me warmly and we chatted briefly about my rejoining her class. I had seen her at Easter when I visited her church and had spoken to her then about her ongoing classes.

There is so much to anticipate and salivate over in the next short while!

Music - Just a Gigalo (I Ain't Got Nobody Song) by Louie Prima

Mood - I need coffee........

Oh my gosh.....I'm so tired!!!!!!!!!! I've really been wanting to write blogs for the past two days but so much has happened and I just have too much to do!!! Enjoying some Arrowhead Mills Peanut Butter on organic rice cracker while I type this. Eating pretty compliantly the past few days - here's the menu from Friday Dinner and Saturday:

*Dinner

Rosemary and Garlic Goat (Carlos fixed it and let me relax - very sweet of him!)

Wild Brown Rice

Okara

Batata (it's a Puerto Rican kind of yam - very yummy)

catechol supplement and chamomile tea (super stressful day at school - Catechol's listed for O stress relief at NAP but since we AB's release the same stress chemicals as O's, I figured it would work....and it does.....with AMAZING results - I use it at school at least once a day)

*BFast

Lemon Water (of course)

Leftovers from Dinner:

Wild Brown Rice

Okara

Batata

Snacked on peanuts and one oatmeal current cookie a little later that morning....

green tea and vitamins

sip of flat cane juice root beer (*Whole Foods makes soda with no corn syrup!!! get some!!!*)

one blue potato chip (Terra brand)

*Lunch

Roasted Veggie and Goat Cheese Pizza

(Picked off the corn and red pepper)

ingredient list:

Crust

Organic Wheat and Organic Whole Wheat Flour, Water, Oat Bran, Olive Oil, Honey, Yeast, Salt

Sauce

Tomatoes, Water, Basil, Tomato Paste, Onions, Crushed Garlic, Slat, Sugar, Crushed Red Pepper

Cheese

Low Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella, Goat Cheese

Toppings

Roasted Corn, Roasted Eggplant, Roasted Zucchini and Roasted Red Pepper

*Dinner

Cup of kefir

salmon sausage cooked in tamari and olive oil

I'd post more menu's but this is all I wrote down when I had time this weekend. This is in NO WAY a balanced diet - I definately need more vegetables. Also, I let my soda become flat (doesn't come that way) since we're not supposed to have carbonation. But, the funny thing is, I've preferred flat soda all my life and everyone thought I was a loon. Figures, right?

On Sunday we went to the beach (lovely time by the by....) and some of us were hungry so, I was able to convince the car to stop by Trader Joe's in Oceanside on the way there (I was amazed they all said yes!) And, in a rush, I picked up their most compliant looking wrap, (too much chicken in that store.....grrrr!) the Portobella Florentine. Very sweet, very yummy, but it did contain some avoids (cornstarch, gums) and I noticed I was quite gassier than usual. It must be from a milk product in it, I always get like that with avoid milk things. But cream cheese and riccotta should be fine I kept telling myself. However, I woke up the next day with a dreadfully stuffy nose. I never noticed the "increased mucus" problem us AB's share with the A's until this episode. It was really apparent this time and most people thought I had a cold at work on Monday! (I know I didn't).....Just read over the ingredient list again and there it is.....third ingredient is "cream." - how did I miss that? Won't be doing that again. The lesson learned - take more time to read the tiny ingredient lists, it's worth it.

I have so much to talk about but I must go - I want to finishing orgainizing the wrapping paper corner and we have to go to a family function tonight. Why did I marry a man with a big family.....there is ALWAYS something......:-) This is quite an adjustment for someone with a small family of 7 people I really talk to and is spread out across the country - Oregon, California, West Virgina and me, myself and I in NY - not so easy to have family get-togethers unlike the 80 or so Velez's in the NY area (I'm not kidding - this family is HUGE and in one place!). A bit trying at times but everyone's very loving so it won't be that bad.....just a little much since I'm used to something much different.

Well, I've finished another Tour de France and once again failed to beat Lance Armstrong home.

The guy is an absolute legend in TDF history. Well done to our own Robbie McEwan for taking the sprinters green jersey again. That's three years in a row now that an Aussie has won that particular title.

One of my work mates rides a stationary exercise bike while watching the tour and finds it improves his cadence (Lance speak for pedalling speed). He has difficulty lunging for the line with the sprinters though but he did avoid all the crashes in this years tour.

On a different form of cycling - Recycling, I spent the weekend in between showers setting up some water storage for our vegetable garden.

We had a galvanised water tank which had just about reached the end of it's life and was rusting through and starting to leak. I purchased 4 x 200 litre (44 gal) second hand polyethylene drums for $66.00 AUD and with the loan of a few power tools from work and some tank outlets (staff discount - of course) I spent Sunday afternoon putting the system together and transferring the water from the galv tank to my new storage. With the other existing tank we now have a total of 1250 litres of rain water we can catch off the garage roof. We use this purely for garden watering, car washing and window cleaning. Quality wise it would not be good enough for drinking but every drop saved is a drop we don't have to pay for in our Council rates.

Things have been a bit quiet on the food front after last weeks experience at the dentist. Quantity of food intake hasn't decreased any but the time taken to shovel it into the boiler room has increased dramatically. Great care is being taken to make sure I don't chew on the right hand side of my mouth at the moment.

Now if anyone has any ideas what to do with a rusty galvanised tank..................?

Today was the last leg of the Tour de France and Lance does it again for the 6th time. It was today that I decided to give the legs and groin a small workout after 6 weeks of inactivity due to the hernia. I detached my bike from my dry trainer (device that allows you to ride your bike stationary in your home) and took to the streets but was hampered a bit by the fact my right gear lever was not working so I only had three gears. Off to the bike shop I went and lucky for me it was only 4 blocks away. After a 30-minute delay, I took to the streets and decided to take the scenic route. Here in Toronto there is a bike path that runs parallel to Lake Ontario for about 30kms. I was in no shape to do the whole trek. I decided I was going to go at a leisurely pace and take in some of the scenery…if I felt discomfort I would turn around and head home. I was smart to pick this route because it was flat…I did a couple of hills on the way to the bike store and I wasn’t comfortable standing up on the bike to make the hills. Ten minutes into the track along the lake path, I had a big smile on my face because I felt like a small part of me had decided to come back into my body after a short leave of absence (funny what endorphins can do to you). I had friends say I wasn’t my usual self and they were right…lack of exercise make’s Mikey very glum. I’ve been popping Catechol and taking B12 to keep my stress levels down and my mood up for the last 6 weeks, but good aerobic exercise is the easiest and cheapest method of stress control for all O’s.

After venturing out for 40 minutes I returned home and prepared myself some (8oz) freshly made carrot juice mixed with some club soda. I had a very large meal today 5 hours prior to my ride of rice with a light tomato sauce and veal (shoulder cut) with sweet potato and Spanish onions with a mixed green salad with olive oil and apple cider vinegar (just a touch). I posted a lamb recipe blog sometime back in April which you can use the same ingredients and cooking instructions with the shoulder veal cut (which I did).

Here’s a closing fact about Lance Armstrong’s resting heart rate…. ready…32 beats per minute. It goes as high as 190 bpm when he is on the bike. I am nowhere near that but my smile today on the bike was as big as his when he crossed the finish line.

The time has arrived. I have finally acquired the last needed component to finish my "Dream Machine." Just like Paul, I have gone off the deep end and purchased a 17" LCD monitor... I'll tell ya'... Looks a treat! (Ain't it funny how we all strive to be more like Paul...?)

ROLL CALL! (for you Tech Heads... Skip some of this if you're not into computers...)

Processor: AMD64 3200+. (64 bit!)

Motherboard: ASUS K8V Deluxe. (maxes out at 3GB of RAM!)

RAM: TWINX 1024 CMX512 PC3200C2 DDR400 ultra low latency (2.5 on AMD systems) Corsair XMS RAM. (Dual Channel!)

Hard Drives: 2 80GB Seagate serial ATA HDD's in a RAID 0 configuration. (Hella fast, and 160GB total!)

DVD burner: HPDVD420i multiformat 8X DVD and 48X CD (I'm no pirate...)

DVD Rom: Sony 52X DVD (but I could...)

Media reader/floppy drive: Adaptec 9 in 1 memory card reader with 3.5" floppy combo drive. (Photos!)

Graphics card: BFG Nvidia 5900XTOC. Overclocked by 70Mhz! (sweet gaming bliss!)

Tower/power supply: Antec SX1045 II SOHO black file server case w/450 watt smart power supply. (!)

Monitor: LG 17" LCD flat panel with Digital DVI. (ultra thin and a 16ms refresh rate!)

Keyboard/mouse: Logitech cordless MX Duo. (super cool, and no wires!)

This thing has got 8 USB ports, 2 IEEE 1394 (fire wire) ports, built in gigabit ethernet (1000MB per second!?!) Built in super 802.ll g wireless LAN, I could go on and on... I'm throwing Windows XP Pro edition for an operating system... I've got a bunch of other software lined up as well, even a few games... I'll quit boring you with the specs though...

Throwing a couple of extra thermally controlled fans in to keep this behemoth cool. Hope it's not too noisy...

So... Guess what... I juiced this morning! Lots of stuff too... Carrots, celery, broccoli, ginger, garlic, green onion, mustard greens, parsley, and cilantro. Green and spicy... Wow...

Breakfast was a couple of cod loins. I covered them in olive oil, then a sort of "breading" I whipped up using: Amaranth flour, dill, Herbamare, turmeric, oregano, sage, dill, nutritional yeast, buffered vitamin C powder, chives, and a bit of cumin. Once they were coated, I sprayed them down with Bragg's liquid Aminos. Baked them at 450 for 18 minutes... Fantastic. Although... I'd have preferred them raw... I do love the sushi. Ate these with some juicer pulp, and a couple of slices of "Health Seed" bread. Good stuff... Still not sure if it is moldy, or just has a sour dough taste to it... Oh well... I eat enough garlic to kill the fungus anyway.

Same thing for lunch. I made a bunch of the cod at once. I'm trying to run out of food before I start the Master Cleanse. Getting excited/anxious/nervous. Expect full reports and updates nearly everyday. Should be interesting. Hopefully healing and purifying.

Dinner was 2/3 block of Tempeh w/ sea vegetables. Another slice of that bread, and a bag of frozen broccoli, seasoned similar to the cod. I watched an old movie called, "The Last Unicorn", while eating... Made in 1982. A year after I was born. I saw it a couple of times when I was VERY little. Ahhh nostalgia... Perhaps some of you remember it? An animated film featuring the voice talents of Angela Lansbury and Christopher Lee, to name a few. America did all the songs too. Cartoons... I'm a fan...

Enjoying a bottle of Rabbit Ridge Reserve Sangiovese. A delicious 98'. Kind of spendy to just bust out and enjoy for no reason in particular... Or... Is it? Buy a bottle of this if you ever lay eyes on it. It's delicious. You'll know it's the reserve by the gold foil around the cork. Aged in french oak and American oak barrels for 8 months. Probably not new ones though... Oh well... Not like it cost a hundred or anything...

I called a good buddy of mine, Patrick in Texas the other day to see how he’s been. I had suggested the diet to his partner Carol when she was experiencing morning sickness with her third child who I found out today is a girl (they have two boys and were in need of some estrogen to even out the excess testosterone in the household). Apparently Carol ordered blood type tests for everyone and I found out my friend is A+…my immediate response was hello tofu, goodbye Texas meat, much to his chagrin but interestingly he had mentioned he had his annual check up and his cholesterol levels were very high…due to the fact he has many luncheons with his clients and steak is usually the course he takes, so I am confident if he pursues BTD his levels were surely drop. He’s committed to try it for three months to see how he feels and looks. Carol on the other hand is B.

My first thought is that it must be tough for an A and B to cook meals without preparing separate dishes. They do not have many common foods that are beneficials. In fact here are the benficials they can share

Highly Beneficial (A,: Cod, Grouper, Mackerel, Monkfish, Pickerel, Sardine, Olive oil, Beet leaves, Broccoli, Carrots, Collard greens, Kale, Parsnips, Cranberries, Pineapple, Plums, Pineapple; Green tea, Garlic, Ginger

Very small list as you can see…now lets look at the rest of the blood type combinations (obviously if you’re the same blood type as your significant other or kids, it saves you from making these lists) and see who shares the most in beneficials.

Highly Beneficial (O,: Mutton/lamb, Venison, Cod, Hake, Halibut, Mackerel, Pike, Sardine, Shad, Sole, Sturgeon, Olive oil, Ezekiel bread, Manna bread, Beet leaves, Broccoli, Collard greens, Mustard greens, Parsley, Parsnips, Red peppers, Sweet potatoes, Plums, Pineapple juice, Cayenne, Curry, Ginger, Parsley, Ginger, Parsley, Peppermint, Rose hips



Highly Beneficial (O,A): Cod, Mackerel, Rainbow Trout, Red Snapper, Salmon, Sardine, Whitefish, Olive oil, Flax oil; Pumpkin seeds, Aduke/Azuke beans, Pinto beans, Black-eyed peas, Ezekiel bread, Manna bread Artichokes, Beet leaves, Broccoli, Chard (red, swiss), Chicory, Collard, Dandelion greens, Escarole, Garlic, Horseradish, Kale, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Okra, Onions (red, spanish, yellow), Parsnips, Romaine lettuce, Spinach, Turnips Figs, Plums, Prunes Black cherry, Pineapple, Prune juice, Fenugreek, Ginger, Rose hips, Slippery elm

Highly Beneficial (O,A: Mutton/lamb, Cod, Hake, Mackerel, Pike, Rainbow Trout, Red Snapper, Sardine, Shard, Sturgein, Eggs, Olive oil; Walnuts, Pinto beans, Ezekiel bread, Manna bread, Beet leaves, Broccoli, Collard, Dandelion greens, Garlic, Parsley, Parsnips, Sweet potatoes, Figs, Plums, Black cherry, Curry, Parsley, Ginger, Rose hips

Highly Beneficial (A,A: Cod, Grouper, Mackerel, Monkfish, Pickerel, Red snapper, Rainbow trout, Sardine, Sea trout, Snail, Olive oil; Peanuts, Pinto beans, Soybeans, Lentils (green), Ezekiel bread, Manna bread, Oat flour, Rice cakes, Rice flour, Rye flour, Soy bread, Beet leaves, Broccoli, Collards, Dandelions, Garlic, Kale, Parsley, Parsnips, Sprouts (alfalfa), Tempeh, Tofu, Cherries, Cranberries, Figs, Grapefruit, Lemons, Pineapple, Plums, Black Cherry, Carrot, Celery, Lemon-water; Coffee, Green tea, Garlic, Miso, Alfalfa, Burdock, Chamomile, Echinacea, Ginger, Ginseng, Green tea, Hawthorn, Rose hips

Highly Beneficial (B,A: Mutton/lamb, Rabbit, Cod, Grouper, Hake, Mackerel, Mahimahi, Monkfish, Pickerel, Pike, Porgy, Ocean Perch, Sardine, Shad, Sturgeon/caviar, Cottage cheese, Eggs, Farmer, Feta, Goat (cheese/milk), Kefir, Mozzarella, Ricotta, Yogurt (non-fat), Olive oil, Navy beans, Ezekiel bread, Manna bread, Millet, Oats, Rice, Beet roots/leaves, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Collards, Eggplant, Kale, Mustard greens, Parsley, Parsnips, Sweet potatoes, Yams, Cranberries, Grapes (concord, green, red), Pineapple, Plums, Cabbage, Cranberry, Grape, Papaya, Green tea, Curry, Ginger, Horseradish, Parsley, Ginger, Ginseng, Licorice, Rose hips.

Looks like B and AB come out on top

I hope this helps people who are co-habituating on the diet to plan their grocery lists to purchase foods, which will most benefit their collective health. For those of you who are on the diet and currently have a significant other but are not living together, please don’t let the lists sway you in or out of the relationship (I highly doubt that) but keep in mind you might have to offer a little more love and understanding (depending on the groupings) when it comes to meal preparation if you and your loved one ever decide to get ‘hitched’

There are many Neutral foods that we can all share so this little exercise may seem very insignificant… maybe not?

I myself have been alone on the diet for close to two years now which I must say is very easy but I’m thinking if someone special happens to come into my life, I have a small hope that she is an A…usually opposites attract.

Tomatoes are the basis for a lot of popular foods today, but unfortunately for us poor type A people they are an avoid.

There are alternatives that can be used in things like pasta sauce and casserole.

For a pasta sauce you can make an acceptable substitute using sweet paprika with grated carrot and pumpkin. Fry an onion and when it has softened and turned golden add the sweet paprika and continue to fry for a minute. This releases all the flavour and aroma. Slow cooking your sauce will improve the depth of flavour and this has a noticeable effect if you make it 24 hours ahead of eating or even freeze a batch and re-heat it.

In a casserole you would again fry the sweet paprika early in the preparation with an onion and other spices then combine with an assortment of root vegetables and adding Miso to the stock will give a depth and richness to the flavour.

As a substitute for tomato puree a combination of Miso, onion and fried sweet paprika powder cooked together would work quite well. Either puree with a blender or in a mortar and pestle, thinned with a little extra virgin olive oil would make a terrific tomato free pizza sauce on a spelt pizza base.

Sue’s just read this and asked why we never have pizza like that. You can’t have cheese I said .

Duh !!!

I should have a contest... Who can figure out how many blogs I have started by saying, "I juiced this morning..." Just kiddin'...

Sorry It's been so long. Hectic schedule at work as of late. No time! I'm sure you all know how it goes.

So... I... Juiced this morning! Ha! Carrots, celery, broccoli, cilantro, green onions, yellow onion, parsley, garlic, and mustard greens. Never used mustard greens before today. Nice and mild... And green. Green means "Go." I've been reading up on cilantro. I had no idea that it had the ability to chelate (draw out/extract) heave metals from the body. Mercury, aluminum, you name it. Awesome! I'm sure we could all use a 'lil help w/that. Especially those of us that eat fish often.

Breakfast was 2 organic eggs. I mixed 'em up w/some of the juicer pulp, Herbamare (sea salt steeped in organic beneficial herbs), Bragg's liquid Aminos (Soy sauce like stuff. Yummy.), nutritional yeats, organic peanut butter, a bit of blackstrap mollasses, turmeric, mustard powder, dill, and some sage. Yum. Had a big handful of pepitas (raw, baby pumpkin seeds) as well... That's right... I ATE BABIES!!!!

Lunch was an avocado w/a bit of salt, a tin of sardines, and two slices of this new sprouted spelt bread I found... It was frozen... It kind of smelled like sourdough... I dunno if it was supposed too... Being it is organic/yeast/preservative free... I suppose it coule be bad... Freaky... How's a guy to know? I ate it anyway... He he

Dinner will be more of that glop that I mixed with the eggs this morning. I'll add some thawed Broccoli Normandy (california mix, broccoli/carrots/cauliflower, whatever you wanna call it), and some frozen blue berries. I'm such a freak. I love it. Believe it or not, I can cook up a storm... It's just quicker and easier to eat mixed junk that's raw... I suppose it might be better for ya' too...

Someone asked about the liver/gallbladder flush. DON'T BE AFRAID! I was a wee bit scared before my first time too. I'm no doctor now. This is just what I have done... Use at your own discretion. I have done several. My fav so far has been this:

For 5 days, drink as much organic apple juice as the appetite permits.

Eat low fat/low protien for the last 2-3 days.

The day of the flush, finish lunch by 2pm. (water and apple juice are ok.)

At 4pm, 6pm, and 8pm, take 1-2 tbsp epsom salts disolved in an 8 oz glass of water.

Do a coffee enema if you like after your third dose of the epsom salts. (optional)

At bed time, use the juice of an organic red grapefruit (about a 1/2 cup), and mix it with 1 cup of organic, extra virgin, olive oil. Suck it down and fast as you can... Sipping it is ok too though. I actually like the taste... He he.

GO TO BED IMMEDIATLEY! You may wanna take something to help you sleep. I just use a capsule of theanine, and a capsule of chamomille. Lie on your right side, with your right knee drawn/pulled as close to your chin as possible for AT LEAST a half hour. Some people like to use a heating pad or a massager over the liver/gallbladder area to move things along.

You may experience a little nausea during the night. I never have though... Just fight it. GO TO SLEEP!

When you wake up. Take 2 tbsp of epsom salts disolved in 8oz of warm water.

Another coffee enema would be extremley helpful about now too... Optional of course...

Drink LOTS of water all day (to flush out all the crap/toxins). You can eat now too... Start low fat/low protien... Take lots of probiotics as well.

You should see stones within a day or two, 3 at the very most. Some people don't actually get any out thier first try. Do it again in 2-3 weeks or so if this is the case. Other wise you should wait about 1-2 months to do another.

Any other q's let me know. GOOD LUCK! You know... I'm about due for another one myself! Later gang...

Well, you know you've got PMS when you break out in zits, feel your boobs swell up, and start to cry when you hear "And I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free..." on the radio.

That, and a Sting song set me off. What's going on here?????

I suppose seeing "The Corporation" last night had a little to do with it. I am saddened by what corporations are doing to our country as well as our earth. The boyfriend said he once met an Indian woman whilst he was in Oz. She said something about how we are going through a 2000 year karma cycle in the world and the karma is the worst it's ever been. We are at the bottom of the karma stash or something like that. I couldn't agree more.

Had a massage today at Urban Retreat with that guy named Ty. Ty is great. He was at Pagoda before it closed and now he's back at UR. Here's another PMS symptom, pain threshold dramatically lowered! I also think not seeing my chiropractor for the past month could have something to do with this, too. Ty is a healer, but he's not the one to go to when your nerves ultra sensitive. He has big arms. He means business. All in all, though, I'm glad I let him have his way with me...wait that sounds a little off, doesn't it? Gosh, what would Grubster say?

You know I'm just kidding, right? That was a joke.

OK, so after my almost rolf-like deep tissue massage, I was reading City Pages today while out and about. Unhappy news, pensions cut, jobs cut, etc....then....NEW RESTAURANT! PIZZA! GALACTIC PIZZA!!!!

..........I had to go check it out......

So here is this new pizza place at 29th and Lyndale. They use real mozarella cheese without BGH from dairy farmers in the Chippewa region of WI. Many organic ingredients incorporated. They deliver the pizza in these little Jetson-like electric vehicles. The deliverers dress like superheroes.

And the pizza I ate tonight: The Galactic. Hemp pesto (hemp and basil), mushrooms (I subbed the buttons for some portabellos), sun dried tomatoes, mozarella, and garlic.

Now, this was a small pizza; nevertheless, I'm not a big person. I was planning to save some for tomorrow's "lunch" at work. I say "lunch" because it's almost always a working lunch for me because I have to double check scripts that pile up in the morning because I'm just not that good at the whole multi-task thing when it comes to anything made of paper. Back to the pizza...so I found myself eating the whole thing....not that I ate it fast, but I just never felt full. Could it be that all I ate today otherwise was a piece of turkey and some plum nectar? Yes, yes, it could.......

But even so, I think this is a PMS thing. Women crave carbs when PMS strikes. I never felt satiated and that RARELY happens to me, especially with wheat. Usually I feel bloated and gross. Not this time.

Now I'm drinking some Green Goodness juice from Bolthouse Farms. It's quite delicious. Even the boyfriend likes it. He loves the green slime! "When you feel like crap, it makes you feel good," says Grubster.

Well, now I have heartburn. Prolly should not have eaten ALL that pizza. And then there's that wheat issue. Just got done taking blood type vitamins, etc. Deflect will hopefully come in handy.

For more information on Galatic Pizza, please read this pleasurable article via City Pages:

http://www.citypages.com/databank/25/1233/article12318.asp

If this is too much to copy and paste, just go to citypages.com then scroll down to the restaurant feature at the bottom entitled, "Space Cadets".

I am happy that the hippies are finally coming back around in this town. It's about darn time! The balance of power has been so skewed!

Ok, so this is from over a week ago......remember when I had all those problems cutting/pasting on my computer? We finally fixed it. So, this is a little dated (2 Thursday's ago happenings, the 8th I think) but it's a good blog so here we go.....



Music: "Rag doll" by The Four Seasons

Mood: serendipitous

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

There is something immensely gratifying about doing the dishes. Since I started cooking up a storm with this diet and eating less processed foods....the sink piles up awfully fast. But somehow, dishes seem rather cathartic to me. Very simple act of transforming something clogged to something pure and clean. Makes me think of the "deflect" I want to order from NAP. It's tough. There's only so much $ to go around or I'd have EVERYTHING!!! Still trying to decide what I should invest in next with my limited resources - deflect, the AB multi vitamin or the larch.

Breakfast was rice chex and soy milk with my vitamins. Lunch? Some of the spaghetti with the kids from the cafeteria......probably not too good for me and definitely not good for the bathing suit figure.....but I did avoid the corn they served as the vegetable. :-)

Made my husband so happy just now. Came home from an exhausting day of work and then 2 hours of school (only 2 more credits for him to go!!!) And I had 2 of the salmon sausages (stuffed with spinach & feta) just finishing up on the stove and organic (frozen) green beans simmering as a side. Both from Whole Foods and both delightful. He was so impressed and very grateful. I didn't find it a problem or a hardship. I hardly looked at either dish, they rather cook themselves. Just providing him with something BENEFICIAL as opposed to him grabbing a pizza or some Mc'y D's on the way home makes me feel all warm inside. Didn't have time to fix the rice. He's out to see a friend of ours at a band a Mulcahy's in Wantagh. I've been wanting to see them but an organized house makes me 10 times happier so I opted out. I find I'm a bit of a home body now that I'm married. Guess most of the excitement came from random flirtations which are a bit out of the question now :-) Besides, I have planning to do for the kids at school and that takes time. Gotta keep them entertained this summer. :-) And we stayed out ‘til VERY LATE last night socializing.

Last night we went out for 10cent wing night at Croxley's. (www.croxley.com - best pub Long Island has!!!) I sorely miss getting in on the good deal but don't feel that pull to the chicken anymore, even when they're in front of me. It was great fun. I throughly enjoyed my French onion soup and had some salad (Didn't cost 10 cents though!!!) Had my usual Belgian beer and then an "Irish Car Bomb" with the boys (Guinness and Bailey's - gets you TOASTED!). We were more than a little silly to say the least. I kept talking about how shiny the mahogany walls were and declaring my love for everyone around me. Best yet, our friend Steve FINALLY brought a "wing belt" for "the champ." Nice picture of it here (scroll down) http://68.194.119.101:8084/bolo/comments.php?eventID=46 and some smack talk as well.

Long story short, every so often our lanky, marathon running friend, Steve, must have a wing eating contest of gargantuan perportion with someone. Sad to say, he lost the last match 2 weeks ago by one lowly wing to our friend Gloria (aka: Globean), a Pre-K teacher like me. She wanted a champion belt so, we now have a WWF-like, plastic, gold wrestling belt. Gloria was absent sooooo, Steve was wearing it last night on his shoulder the whole time (that usurper!). He got several compliments actually, from the ladies. A very funny night. You all should have been there.

Going to finish organizing and fix up some collard greens and rice. Hope you all have a nice place you like to go and relax or just chill with friends. It's very important I think, for all of us to have one of those places to just get away from everything for awhile. (Yeah, we finally started making several Cheers references at Croxley's last night - funny we didn't see the similarities before.....guess we're just getting to that age of maturity and enjoying the release form the daily 9-5.......)

Hello everyone,

I'm writing to you today from in front of my newly arrived 17" flat screen LCD monitor.

It arrived today and initial thoughts are..................fantastic.

I finished up getting the Philips 107S5 with a silver trim. It cost me $590.00 AUD from a computer dealer in Melbourne. This was a saving of over $200.00 on the cheapest 17" flat screen I coud buy in Devonport.

Looks a treat.

On the tooth front, I am surprised how quickly things appear to be healing. Very little pain today at the point of extraction and almost all the swelling has gone. Must be the benefit of a healthy lifestyle and diet that is helping the healing process.

Thanks to everyone who wrote in with tips and remedies from Bromelain, CoQ10 to the good old standby Oil of Cloves.

Pureed soup for tea last night with a bowl re-heated at work for lunch today. Last night for supper I had a bowl of sliced pear in their own juice topped with natural yoghurt.

Eating today hasn't been too much of a problem so it's back to solids.

Over the course of the last few months, the boyfriend denies his identity when I call him by his real name. The name he has given himself is Grubby Bear. He growls and craves honey. I, in turn, have converted him to "Grubster". And he calls me Mrs. Lingonberry. I took on this name when I began wearing a long loose organic unbleached cotton nightie I got for Christmas from the Gaiam store from mom (www.gaiam.com).

So Grubster has begun reaping the benefits of my blood type diet practices....as I am perpetually trying to get him to avoid junk food and coffee, he has started to realize it's not about weight. He doesn't need to lose weight. He's in great shape. It's about feeling a little less like crap and having more energy.

He wants to eat more organic food but finances are preventing him from pursuing this. My challenge: go to Whole Foods and pick up a week's worth of groceries for him for under thirty-five bucks. The challenge is on very soon......

Now, in the meantime, I have also purchased some Type O tea and Type O protein powder for him. He was VERY happy to hear that it does not contain soy as this makes him very gassy. He plans to give it a try after work some time.

And here is the major kicker: he went to Whole Foods yesterday....picked up an organic chicken!!!! He marinated it in wine. He stuffed its "butt" with all sorts of healthy things: black beans, mango, kelp, and many more things I can't remember. Then he put it in the slow cooker and ate it when he got off his evening shift. It was SO tender! He's saving it for me when I come to his place in a couple of days when I'm not busy.

This was one of those "I told you so" moments for me: "I TOLD YOU FREE RANGE ORGANIC CHICKEN TASTES BETTER!!!" I didn't rub it in though. I'm just happy he's taking active measures to treat his body better.

So I haven't written in a while. I've had a lot of things on my mind, but failed to get them in writing. Last night I went somewhere where I probably should not have gone....IKEA. It just opened up on Bastille day across from MOA (Mall of America). Much different than the one in Chicago in terms of architecture. I wonder how this will affect small business with furniture.

This excerpt is from www.theonion.com:

IKEA Claims Another 10,000 Lifestyles

ATLANTA—IKEA, the rapidly growing Swedish retailer of inexpensive home furnishings, claimed another 10,000 American lifestyles in 2003, according to a report released Tuesday by the Center for...

4017 | 28 April 2004 | News

Unfortunately, I can't copy and paste the actual article because it's in the archives now, but if you want to read it, you'll have to become a premium onion subscriber. The article is funnier than hell!!!

So while at IKEA I got naughty and had a cup of decaf coffee and cinnamon roll combo for a buck fifty. I was then planning to see, "The Corporation" later last night but the last showing was 8 pm. I probably would have gotten there earlier but I went to my cell phone dealership to get an update/download on my phone. I waited in line for over twenty minutes. When it was finally my turn, I brought my phone up only to find out that the techs went home at 5 pm. "Would you like to keep your phone overnight?" "Um, no, I can't. Would have liked to know that before I stood in line for twenty minutes." and walked out. I mean, c'mon, it's like going into a mass merchandise or chain pharmacy. The store hours might be 8 am-10 pm every day, but the pharmacy hours are shorter on weekends so they are posted somewhere that a customer might notice. I would have liked to know this about these cell phone techs!

Obviously my life is going pretty well if that's all I have to complain about today.

I will go back to what I've been eating in a later blog. This is a lot for one to read.

I am writing this today whilst still under the influence.

My much feared visit to the dentist has resulted in the loss of two teeth. Not as bad as I feared I really expected to lose the three on that side.

They were decayed down into the gum and were not able to be saved.

I know it was my own fault, I hadn’t set foot in a dental surgery for nearly 10 years.

My mind may be numbed by the anesthetic used, my mouth certainly is, however it was a comparatively painless experience. (LOL. Or I would if I could.)

I’m sure the pain level will increase later so I’m bypassing BTD today and taking whatever I need to get through today and tonight (Paracetamol and Codeine). I’m drinking plenty of fluids, maintaining my increased vitamin C and Echinacea intake, all to help minimize the risk of infection and speed the healing process.

It’s fixed the immediate problem anyway and now I have to go back in about a month for a full examination and to make a decision about what to do with my gaping cavity.

At least vegetarian food is soft so I won’t have to chew too hard today and I’ve got some left over soup which I’ll puree to eat later.

Good morning!

Wanted to say "hello" before I bound off to work. Enjoying my lemon and water this morning. This weekend has been pretty compliant but not as compliant as usual and I can feel it. I'm almost positive my "monthly visitor" is coming because I had a random acute stomach pain yesterday morning after the lemon water. The lemons never make me feel that way. Like someone's twisting a knife in my intestines for 20 seconds? I only used to get them, quite frequently and at random times, right before you know what came. I wonder which avoid that it is that does that to me? I hadn't felt that since before the diet. (March)

Lovely weekend - went out for a drive on Friday, Saturday was a family get together with lots of in-laws and Sunday we went out to celebrate a friend's b-day at a Chinese Buffet. Very busy - certainly not enough time to clean my bedroom or cook much but I got some domestic work done. :-)

And now, to answer some questions:

Karen asked about Tomatoes and AB - as far as I know, I feel fine. But, you are the second person to mention something about AB blood and joint pain from tomatoes. I will pass this along to the doctor. Maybe they're not so good for us after all? Or maybe it's just a secretor status thing? I don't know. But, if you find tomatoes or any other food that's listed as "neutral" does something bad to your body - definately stay away. Cook Right For Your Type as a recipe for tomato-less pizza which others have told me is very yummy. Your comments and another's definately have me questioning the validity of the tomato (especially since papaya's have more lycopene!) I will keep you all updated on any tomato news - it's in almost as many things we Americans eat as corn! Hard to stay away from but, not impossible. :-)



Angelina asked about my secretor status. It is something I would love to get. I have the kit sitting right on top of my pile of magazines. However, if you look at the form that you send in with it, it states that they can not do this if you live in NY. Appearantly (sp?) there is a NY state law that prohibits the mailing of that much saliva (probably a result of 9/11 or anthrax scares) It really pisses me off. I'm sure I can find a way around this somehow, but it's taking some time. So yes, I too can't wait to find out my secretor status but until I can find a loop hole, NAP is obligated to send me my money back if I try to send in my stuff since it's "illegeal" (another spelling mistake?) where I am. It really sucks. Angelina, I don't know if your doctor has read the books but, in Live Right and the even more updated version in the Blood Type Encyclopedia - has food lists that break up food by secretor status. Your doctor's right in that it doesn't make a huge difference for us. But, it can make a remarkable difference for some foods - the biggest one I've noticed? That the various "WHEATS" that are "neutral" for secretor AB's are "AVOIDS" for non-secretor AB's. And we know how much wheat there is in everything......It's definately something worth having done - if you don't live in NY that is :-)

And last but not least, here is the ingredient list, Lola, for the "Organic Soy Delicious" non-dairy frozen dessert, distributed by a company called "Turtle Mountain". Sorry it took so long. This is what's on the label of the chocolate peanut butter variety:

organic soymilk (filtered water, organic soybeans)

organic dehydrated cane juice,

organic brown rice syrup and/or organic tapioca syrup,

organic peanuts (roasted in organic peanut oil, salt)

organic soybean oil and/or organic safflower oil,

organic cocoa (processed with alkali)

organic gum acacia,

organic potato starch,

chicory root extract,

vanilla extract,

carob bean gum,

guar gum,

carrageenan,

algin (kelp extract)

yucca extract,

non-gmo potato sugar,

natural flavors

As you can see, it still contains some avoids so, don't go eating the whole carton at once. But like I've heard from so many people - you can't sweat the small stuff. I hate when the list an "or" ingredient - don't they know what the h*$# it is they're putting into their product?!?! There shouldn't be an and/or ingredient, especially when it's an avoid like the tapioca and safflower!!! grrrrrrrrrr.....Other avoids in this are gum acacia, guar gum and the carrageenan. And if your an O the potato and yucca ingredients should definately keep you away. I'll try other flavors - maybe there's less avoids. This is still more diet compliant however, than a big bowl of Ben & Jerry's so don't worry to much about the few avoids, just keep it all in moderation!

Getting closer to it... The Master Cleanse that is... Really getting anxious/looking forward to it.

Going for 20 days. More If I feel I can handle it... I'd really like to shoot for 40, but...

Saw "I, Robot" last night with my 'lil brother. Good movie. Not great, but entertaining.

Had the day off today, so I took a long time "getting ready for the day." Woke up, did some stretching, and juiced. Carrots, celery, broccoli, ginger, green onion, spinach, and garlic. SPICY!

Did a 'lil cleansing ritual after that... Followed with a shower, and ate breakfast. 2 eggs, boiled in the shell for six minutes. Mixed with all sorts of condiments (see past blogs), a tbsp of ground flaxseed, and frozen blueberries. I spread the goop on a slice of ezekiel toast, and pounded the rest. Yummy. Had a small can of Dole pineapple juice as well. Still hungry, so I ate a tbsp of organic peanut butter too (not all at once, or you'll choke!).

Laid in the sun for an hour (should have waited on the shower, had to rinse off after...), and listened to my Holosync meditation CD. Hard to meditate when you have ants and other assorted insects crawling/landing on you. Got a wicked tan goin' though as I've made a habit of layin' out when it's nice and I have the time...

Dinner was a couple of chicken breasts, coated with amaranth flour, and sauteed in olive oil, w/two mashed cloves of garlic, and a half a yellow onion. Seasoned with Herbamare, dill, parsley, sage, oregano, dulse, chives, and basil. Very Italian. Very GOOD! Had aspinach salad to go with it. Sprayed some Bragg's liquid aminos on the spinach and sprinkled some nutritional yeast on it. Drank an entire bottle of Goats Do Roam, South African red wine, while watching a movie (Road to Perdition) as well... Probably a bit too much wine... Ate a bunch of jack fruit sprinkled with cinnamon, ground coffee, and ginger powder for desert. I love that stuff.



Been screwin' around on the computer since. I just lost an auction on e bay for some Corsair XMS ultra low latency RAM, for the computer I'm building.. CMX512 DDR400 3200LLPT to be exact... I'm pretty pissed about it... That is pretty much the best stuff on the planet as far as what my motherboard will except... Oh well. Good night gang. Sushi for lunch tomorrow! I'll let ya' know what I get! Not spell checking this...(the wine?) So... Bear with me...

I look forward to July every year since being on the BTD diet because it’s the only month that fresh figs are available to eat (here in Canada). You can get dried figs from now till end of November but fresh are available for about 6 weeks. Most of the figs we get fresh come from California. The dried ones usually from Greece and Turkey…I prefer the Greek to the Turkish kind. The fig has beneficial status with O, A and AB and neutral for B…in other words, it’s a BTD superstar. Here are some fig facts and ways to eat them (thanks to www.californiafigs.com):

FIG NUTRITION FACTS

1. Figs can be part of almost any special diet, be it low fat, low sodium, high fiber, weight loss, diabetic or even the Mediterranean. They satisfy a sweet tooth without adding any fat. Their unique satiny texture and seeds provide a satisfying mouth feel and crunch.

2. Figs are fat-free, sodium-free and, like other plant foods, cholesterol-free.

3. One serving of figs is 40 grams, about 1/4 cup, or about 3 Calimyrna figs or about 4 to 5 Mission figs.

4. A small serving of about 1 1/2 dried figs equals one fruit exchange, or 15 grams of carbohydrate, provided in the form of glucose and fructose.

5. Figs are high in fiber, providing 20% of the Daily Value --- more dietary fiber per serving than any other common dried or fresh fruit.

6. Of the approximately five grams of fiber per serving of California figs, four grams are insoluble and one gram is water-soluble.

7. Figs have the highest overall mineral content of all common fruits. A 40 gram (1/4 cup) serving provides 244 mg of potassium (7% of the DV), 53 mg of calcium (6% of the DV) and 1.2 mg of iron (6% of the DV).

8. California figs fit into 5 A Day -- the 40 gram serving is an easy way to add a serving of fruit to reach the daily recommendation of five fruits and vegetables.

Research performed by the University of Scranton has determined that dried figs have a phenol makeup ranging from 4 to 50 times higher than other fruits. To put this data in perspective, 100 grams of processed California figs provide more polyphenols than the total daily per capita consumption of polyphenols from 21 commonly consumed vegetables (218 mg/day) or 12 fruits (155 mg/day), and for 10 beverages (1092 mg/day).

Research performed by Rutgers University in New Jersey has also determined that dried figs contain Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty acids, as well as a number of phytosterols. Phytosterols are credited with decreasing natural cholesterol synthesis in the body, thus lowering overall cholesterol counts



Quick and Easy Ways To Add Fiber With California Figs

1. Tuck a few California figs into a plastic bag to tote to the office, to school, to the game or park, for a quick snack. Easy to eat and satisfying to a sweet tooth.

2. Keep a container of figs in a desk drawer at work, to satisfy late afternoon munchies, or to nibble at coffee break time.

3. Slice a few California figs to add to tossed green salads. They add delightful sweetness and texture, as well as fiber.

4. Sweeten up mashed or cubed winter squash or sweet potatoes with some chopped California figs. The figs add a richness of their own, so you can skip the butter or margarine. (0, B, A

5. Blend low-fat cream, ricotta or cottage cheese with some California figs to create a great spread for toast or bagels, or as a dip for sliced fresh fruit. (A, B, A

6. Chop some California figs to scatter over instant or regular oatmeal or any cold spelt cereal. Skip the sugar and enjoy the Figgie flavor and crunch.

FIG BANANA SMOOTHIE (Beneficial for B only)

Preparation time: 15 minutes

1 cup chopped California figs (stems removed)

1 cup 1-inch banana slices

1 cup plain lowfat yogurt

3 cups crushed ice

1 Tbls. icehoney

Place all ingredients except garnish in a blender (not a food processor), and blend until smooth - approximately 2-3 minutes. Strain liquid and pour into tall, chilled glasses. Add garnish. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

If you’re looking for more recipe ideas (you might need to alter ingredients according to blood type), check out the following web site…http://www.californiafigs.com/recipes/index.html.



All I can say is that when I eat figs, it makes me break out in song

Fiiiiiigaro…figaro, figaro…. fiiigaro

(Mozart must surely be turning in his grave)

Friday afternoon and we get one of our regular downpours of rain. Only just managed to avoid it flooding one of our store areas at work. The rain was that heavy the drains just couldn’t handle the volume. Out in the pouring rain with a crowbar removing the grate over the drain. Disaster averted by about 30 seconds.

It’ll be to wet to get in the garden again this weekend.

To add insult to injury Saturday has dawned crystal clear although the temperature of 1o C is a bit hard to take. After breakfast it was a quick trip to the vet for Bonnie’s Pentosan injection. We took her to the beach for a walk afterwards and to my horror there were two people [idiots] on surfboards in the water. Yes the sun was shining, yes the waves were reasonable but it was 3oC. What are these people using for brains or more importantly what are they using for wetsuits.

It was far too nice to stay at home so Sue and I decided to pack lunch and go for a drive. Farmers Markets are only just beginning to get going here and there was one at Burnie today, about 45 minutes drive up the coast. A nice leisurely drive to what was a small market although we did by the most beautiful cauliflower, about the size of a basketball for $2.50.

On to Romaine Park in Burnie where we unpacked lunch. I had taken a container of leftover Vegestroni soup that Sue had made for tea the day before. Re-heated in our portable gas stove it was just the ticket, sitting in the sun on a winters day freezing our b**s off. Soup followed by dried fruit , homemade biscuit and a hot green tea.

A 45 minute walk around Burnie town centre after lunch and Sue successfully spotting some anti-macassars she’s been looking for in a shop window made for a very enjoyable trip.



A lovely day in the sun after all the rain and gloom of a working week.

By the way I've managed to get an appointment with a dentist for this coming Wednesday. Stay tuned for all the gory details, horror/drama, fear/terror.

O..........K........ Where to begin...



I guess I'll answer a few questions first... Then on to....



A fellow BTD'r recently recommended I visit tigerdirect.com and newegg.com to find the RAM for the computer I'm building. Thanks Dani. May I recommend zipzoomfly.com. They usually have stuff even cheaper!!



Shauna, keep up the exercise! I recommend that you tone it down a wee bit though... Substitute some of the more intense cardio for brisk outdoor walking and more pilates/yoga. Keep the ol' cortisol levels in check. As far as your question regarding wheat... I avoid it completely. The only wheat I EVER eat is sprouted. I have found 4 excellent forms so far. 1) Ezekiel bread (several kinds). I LOVE this stuff. 2) Ezekiel sprouted grains cereal. 3) Ezekiel sprouted grains tortillas. 4) Food for Life Essene/Mana bread (several kinds). If you're using flour, try subbing spelt/oat/amaranth/buckwheat instead... You'll love the results, and your tummy will thank you. Shoot for 100% as far as compliance... Of course we ALL have our 'lil caveats! Keep up the excellent work.



Ann, I have done 5-6 liver gallbladder flushes thus far. I HIGHLY recommend that EVERYONE try at least two. Scan Heidi's column for more info. Or try sensiblehealth.com or, my favorite, curezone.com. The first three I did flushed quite a few "stones". The last couple haven't produced anything but chaff... A blockage? No more stones? A subconscious resistance to healing? Liver cancer? Hah! Who knows? I'll try another one here soon... Before, or after the Master Cleanse though....?



Nancy. I know EXACTLY how you feel!!!! When first starting the BTD, you really have to get used to the changes. It's quite an adjustment period to be sure! Sounds like you have a bit of a carbohydrate intolerance... Non-secretor? Keep at it! It takes the body/brain/stomach/pancreas time to learn to produce the proper enzymes to assist in the digestion/assimilation of these new/whole foods. You should have heard me whining the first time I ate soy! I remember it vividly... I was writing a paper on Edgar Allan Poe... I had just eaten an entire bag of roasted soy nuts... Not good! The gas was so bad it was painful! Ease into it. Follow the portion recommendations. Talk to your body and learn how much and when you can tolerate certain foods... It takes a while, but don't give up! You'll really thank yourself for it later! Congrats on finding the BTD! If your beans are canned... Rinse them! All types of digestive irritants in that glop from the processing. If you're soaking them... Eat the glop. Nutrient city!



Thanks to Leslie and Shannon for the response on the Master Cleanse. I was going to go into detail on the procedure/benefit/science behind it but... That would take forever! If your interested, just google it. Or, even better, check out the book by Stanley Borroughs, entitled, The Master Cleanser. Or, Healing for the Age of Enlightenment. See if it's right for you. I asked our beloved Heidi about it... I'll have to wait and see if she has time to reply. I think that I'll be starting it on Tuesday though... I should run out of food right around then... My last meal will be... SUSHI!



Thanks to everyone! And remember! I'm no Doc! Not yet anyway... I only recommend/encourage! You have to decide what foods/cleanses/procedures are right for you! Best wishes!-----Jim.

Well, I just found out that my little brother (ok he's 20 now, not so little anymore :-) is an A-. Figures!!! My whole family is A!!! Well.......my whole family that I talk to and have a close relationship with that is. My mom's an A, my brother's an A, my sister's an A, my Aunt's an A, her children are A's......what am I? AB. My dad's a B+ I also found out recently. They always said I was most like my father than anyone else and, in a loving way of course, I was always referred to as "that special one" or "that T.T." (my family nickname) or "there goes crazy Natalie, you know her!" or "don't mind her, she's just dancing again..." Figures....I was the only one of my kind at all those family gatherings :-)

It is so nice to have this community. There are some questions that need answering. I haven't found out about the "michigan pearl beans" that a nice lady wrote in about but I will ask around. If you have them, I guess just treat them as a neutral for now and use them sparingly since we don't know yet. Another nice lady would like the ingredient list for the "soy delicious" I found at Whole Foods. No problem. But, I'm expecting company and the apartment is a mess!!! Shouldn't even be online right now. Promise it will be at the top of my next blog. There was another question but I need to check back in my comments and find that out. But, I've got to get this house in order and FAST!!!

I've been soooo stressed this week - very gald for the weekend and a chance to relax. Well, wait, we have plans for both Saturday and Sunday.....and company's coming tonight........darn it!!! There goes my idea of just cleaning and doing nothing. Oh well......just adapt I guess; isn't that what us AB's are made for? Take care! Please write me if you have any questions. Can't wait for my life to calm down a bit so I can get back to blogging about food. I've developed a passion for cooking now. So both my husband and I are very happy :-)

TTYL!!!

Then an old man, a keeper of an inn, said, "Speak to us of Eating and Drinking."

And he said:

Would that you could live on the fragrance of the earth, and like an air plant be sustained by the light.

But since you must kill to eat, and rob the young of its mother's milk to quench your thirst, let it then be an act of worship,

And let your board stand an altar on which the pure and the innocent of forest and plain are sacrificed for that which is purer and still more innocent in many.

When you kill a beast say to him in your heart,

"By the same power that slays you, I to am slain; and I too shall be consumed.

For the law that delivered you into my hand shall deliver me into a mightier hand.

Your blood and my blood is naught but the sap that feeds the tree of heaven." And when you crush an apple with your teeth, say to it in your heart,

"Your seeds shall live in my body,

And the buds of your tomorrow shall blossom in my heart,

And your fragrance shall be my breath, And together we shall rejoice through all the seasons."

And in the autumn, when you gather the grapes of your vineyard for the winepress, say in you heart,

"I to am a vineyard, and my fruit shall be gathered for the winepress,

And like new wine I shall be kept in eternal vessels."

And in winter, when you draw the wine, let there be in your heart a song for each cup;

And let there be in the song a remembrance for the autumn days, and for the vineyard, and for the winepress.

Kahlil Gibran - The Prophet (1923)

Yo Yo Yo... The busy streak continues...

Had juice left over from yesterday today... 2 servings. Kale, spinach, broccoli, carrots, celery, green onion, ginger, garlic... Iz all mang.

Breakfast was 2 organic eggs. I boiled them for 6 minutes and mashed them up w/ amaranth flour, juicer pulp, cherry juice concentrate, a tbsp of ground flax seed, lemon juice, dill, garlic, Braggs, Herbamare, mustard powder, and turmeric... Spread this goo onto a slice of Ezekiel toast. Also had a slice w/peanutbutter on it.

Lunch was an avocado w/lemon juice, and salt. Had a tin of sardines and a Braeburn apple as well...

About to eat dinner. I'm starving. Going to sautee tempeh w/sea vegetables, red onion, and some other veggies... Not sure what just yet...

I've been reading about a cleanse/diet/fast called The master Cleanse. It consists of consuming 6-12 8 oz glasses of warm water w/fresh squeezed lemon juice, a tiny bit of ceyenne pepper, and organic grade B maple syrup. You eat NOTHING the entire time. As there is no fiber included. A laxative tea (senna or something) must be taken at night, and in the morning. Supposedly, this cleanse will rid you of any ailment... I sunno... I haven't tried it... Yet. I'm pretty excited to do it actually. The duration is anywhere from 10-40 days... Even longer if you want. I'm going to shoot for 20 or so... See how it goes. I know cayenne is an avoid. I think I'm healthy enough to handle it. Ther is a lot of sience behind it... I'll get into that tomorrow, as well as anmswer a few q's I've recieved. Please contact me if you have had any experience with the Master Cleanse... Later.

Moving is a collection of mixed blessings. My mother was asked, when I was a little girl, to keep some important papers in a safe place for a friend, which she carefully did. I well remember the day the house was being torn apart in a frantic search, because my mother could not remember where she had put these papers for safekeeping (they were eventually discovered in an unlikely place). Since then, it has been a family joke to talk about having put something in a “safe place” if its location has vanished from living memory without a trace.

The process of tearing apart all of my possessions and packing them in preparation for moving next week has yielded the location of several items that have been safely stored but simply forgotten, such as the gold necklace on a delicate chain that I stopped wearing many years ago. So it’s a time to refresh my acquaintance with some items, as well as a chance to throw things away that no longer hold any value. It’s also a time of surprises. Where did I put that…? Oh, is that where that was? This morning I went looking for my dumbbells to find they were not in view. Hmmm…I guess I’ll have to lift boxes for the next short while, not weights!

I have diligently followed my B blood type characteristic of being a nomad. I have always believed I had a gypsy soul, but no way to prove such an idea. Instead, I lived in five homes in three different cities in three different provinces of Canada by the time I married my first husband at the age of 20. Children dictate a certain level of stability, but as my little brood grew, I began to move once again. One of the hardest questions I ever have to answer is “Where are you from?” I don’t really know the answer. Am I from New Brunswick, where I lived until I was three years old? Am I from Toronto, where I’ve spent more years of my life than others? What about all the other places? Even coming back to Toronto almost 17 years ago sounds fairly stable until I start to count the number of homes I have lived in during those years. I’ve been in my present building (in two different apartments) for seven years. That’s a much better record than the first few years, when I moved so many times I have actually lost count. I think it was more than 10 times. It seems that every time I move, I have acquired more possessions. I look back on that first move in Toronto with amazement that I had so little to take along with me. I had no furniture, only a few boxes of books, some clothing, a radio, a musical instrument. It didn’t even fill my friend’s van! This move will require a 14 foot moving truck and three strong young men to heave furniture and boxes in and out of old and new homes in a little over a week.

The purchase transaction is scheduled to close tomorrow. I have to paint the bedroom before the move, so it’s good there is time to do that next week before the move. The rent is actually paid on this apartment until the end of July, so if anything goes wrong, there is still time to reconfigure the structure set in place.

The stress of last-minute details is wearing away at me a little. I think that’s why I was looking for the dumbbells, to work off some of the tension. I’ll simply have to do a few yoga stretches in their place. It will be sufficient, I’m sure. And I am reminding myself to be sure to take all of my vitamin supplements for these days up to the move, to make sure I am in the best possible physical condition and able to deal with whatever “throws” may come my way as I head towards a different lifestyle in a new location. It will be healthier where I am going to live. This apartment is located a block away from an operating rubber factory. From time to time, fumes come my way, reminding me of its presence, and a black film descends on everything in the apartment – the floors, windows, venetian blinds. I suspect this will not be a factor in my new home. And I think the large leafy trees in front of my new apartment will block much of the sound of traffic whizzing past on the busy street as well as reduce the amount of dust that presently comes in my windows because I am located much closer to the road. The new home is actually a health tool in every possible way, once I get over the mechanics of the last of the packing and the painting and the actual move. I will be breathing much more easily in a number of ways.

What's up, Gang? The computer building project is coming along nicely. It turns out, I'm ridiculously adept at finding (and demanding) good deals on stuff... Every component in this dream machine of mine has had the quality, and the price, meticulously researched (a type A thing). I'm getting rebates/discounts/best deals on all of it. Except for.... The RAM!!!! If anyone out there knows where to get a sick deal on 2X CMX512 PC3200 DDR400 (C2 or LL, or, PT) Corsair RAM, PLEASE let me know! I keep getting outbid on e-bay!



Juiced before breakfast this morning. 3 carrots, 2 green onions, 2 cloves of garlic, a couple of stalks of parsley, lots of broccoli florets, a good sized piece of ginger, a piece of red onion, and a few leaves of kale. Good stuff. Just finished the last serving now (8:50pm CT).



Breakfast was 2 hardboiled eggs. Only boil them 6 minutes to keep the yolks in tact. Don't wanna destroy all the nutrients/protein/enzymes/omega fats. Mixed them up w/a tbsp of organic peanut butter, a tbsp of lemon juice, a tbsp of dulse (dried seaweed flakes), garlic powder, a few drops of Braggs' liquid Aminos (all natural soy sauce type stuff... TRY IT!), turmeric, mustard powder, Herbamare (a delicious, and beneficial alternative to table salt. Sea salt steeped in beneficial herbs for a ling time, all organic. Try it too!), a 'lil bit of cherry juice concentrate, a tbsp of fresh ground golden flax seed, a tbsp of amaranth flour, and a wee bit 'o' black strap molasses. I proceeded to spread this gobbledygook on 2 slices of slightly toasted Ezekiel bread. FANTASTIC! Here's to mixing beneficial stuff with no actual goal in mind!



Lunch was a bunch of cherries, a handful of walnuts, a handful of pepitas (raw, baby pumpkin seeds), and a piece of tempeh (fermented soybeans in a "patty" of sorts). I had a serving of juice before hand, of course...



Like I said, I just finished the last of the juice, going to have dinner right quick here... A grapefruit and sumthin' else... Haven't figured that out yet...



I want to share w/you a helpful comment a fellow BTD'r left with me recently... Shannon writes:

"You should always buy olive oil that's in a glass container and one that is an opaque glass. Meaning no light can penetrate. Light can affect the chemical bonds of the olive oil altering it's composition and of course the nutritional value. The same thing applies when using olive oil to fry (something we should be avoiding anyway) or saute. The heat completely alters the bonds and then it's nutritional content is completely whacked."

Shannon is 100% correct here. Might I add that you should always make sure that your olive oil is extra virgin, and not refined! Also, Olive oil's bonds are only significantly altered when heated well over 380 degrees. Light frying/sauteing isn't too bad... She went on to say that butter holds it's bonds better. Which, is true. However, butter contains milk solids which are a big avoid for us type A's! Try using Ghee instead! It's basically butter that has had the milk solids removed! It tastes delicious, and is fantastic for you! Totally cool for all blood-types too! Thanks Shannon!

Later boys and girls.

I gave you a sense of what my day at the hospital was like…so far I think that was the easy part. The last 6 and bit days were full of its share of ‘ups and downs’. Food wise the hospital nutritionist said to keep it light for many reasons. Primarily the morphine drip and the shock of the operation tend to shut down or slow your digestive organs for about 24 hours so I had a generous bowl (what can I say I was hungry…it was the first meal I had in 24 hours) of garlic/parsley soup (see ‘Who needs chicken soup redux blog) with some small pieces of Sole fish. If you’re getting ideas I made this myself…think again.

My supplements for recovery consisted of Tylenol III, Bromelain and Horsetail. I tried my hardest not to take the Tylenol but at times the discomfort was too much to bear and besides it helped me to sleep. Word of advice re: Tylenol…it causes constipation so I would recommend you double your water intake and increase your fiber intake from beneficial fruits and vegetables. You do not want to be constipated especially if you had a hernia operation. Bromelain (good for all blood types) is best known as a digestive aid but it makes a great anti-inflammatory especially after surgery. I was taking 2 x 500 mg capsules every 4 hours and three capsules in the middle of the night if I woke up which has been every night so far. Horsetail to keep the O blood thick…also good for hardening your nails and strengthening your hair (I believe it is very blood type specific for O’s)

After the first 24 hours, I was instructed to get up every hour and walk for as long as I could. I was instructed to not do any heavy lifting after the surgery but that did not include myself. Suffice to say this was the hardest thing to do but I had a good reason to since I was drinking copious amounts of water and the need to ‘go’ was always there. Bandages came off after 48 hours, wound looked good. The surgeon had mentioned to me that he had wished I had a little more fat (BTD worked very well with me to reduce this since being on it) around my gut area…said I might feel like my skin is stretching for next few days… this caused me the most discomfort.

I’m not going to list all the foods I ate but I’ll just say that I was about 90% compliant and took Deflect when I was not. Someone visited me with a lemon meringue pie and needless to say I ate the whole thing over three days. ‘Love knows many lectins’

Today after 6 days post surgeryI woke up with a bit of skip and hop to my step and my staples did not pinch like they were for the first few days. I called the surgeon who said it was OK to go to work (he said most of his patients go back to work after two weeks), but no driving, so my boss is picking me up tomorrow morning. Solitary confinement and slow monotonous routine for O’s for 6 days is very depressing. If you’re caring for a mate or child who is an O, surprise him/her with new activities once in a while…especially if they are immobile.

Need less to say, I’m happy I’m leaving the confines of my condo tomorrow.

I’ve been getting my annual fix of pro cycling for the last week.

Every year I settle down to watch a half hour daily highlight package of the Tour de France.

Sunday night they showed 2 hours live of a stage of 165 kms.

It’s enthralling stuff, being able to watch athletes at the peak of their fitness performing at their best. If only they could stay off drugs!! I lost interest in cycling a number of years ago because of the drugs culture and I hear today that two more riders in France have tested positive.

In our present society I don’t know whether drugs in sport will ever be resolved. Unfortunately the rewards financially are now so high that the temptation to go for that little ‘extra’ is always there.

The Australian Olympic cycling squad is in turmoil over ‘alleged’ drug breaches and I’m sure between now and August when all the athletes get to Athens we will hear more of it in all sports. Athletes obviously don’t watch ‘South Park’ otherwise they would know that “drugs are bad”.

During a feeding stage in yesterday’s race the commentary team of Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwin mentioned that they were taking on food for the following day and not to help them in the current stage. The average calorific intake by a pro cyclist during the race is between 5000 and 7000 calories. Amazing how much they burn off whilst racing.

The team ethic and also the support from other teams is amazing and like our diet the support of family and friends can be the difference in making this way of life a stage win or finishing in the peleton.

It got me thinking, does anyone know of any ‘major’ sports people who follow BTD.

I imagine these days with all the scientific input that sports diets are pretty hi-tech anyway. Has there been any research into the benefits of a BTD on sports performance.

I reckon Lance Armstrong is looking good to win his sixth Tour in a row and we’re thoroughly enjoying the battle between the Australian sprinters Robbie McEwan and Stuart O’Grady for the green jersey.

Allez le Tour!!

Ah, it feels SO good to cook! Is it the control freak in me who can see exactly what's added to the food I'm eating or is it just that strange feeling of traditionalism I get when I cook for the people I love? Or both?

I'm on sort of a vacation from work. I wanted to do more with it, but really I don't feel like boarding a plane nor do I feel like making a very long drive. Instead, I am just chilling with family and the boyfriend.

Dad is in Chicago for job training. He is staying in Downer's Grove. I told him, "gee, that sounds like a really downer." He didn't quite get the joke at first, his mind being fried by all that study material.

The boyfriend, dad, and I went to an Italian restaurant called Gianotti's. In the heart of suburbia hell, here was an authentic mom and pop-type Italian restaurant. And it was GOOD.

Dad had veal, the boyfriend had chicken, and I had broiled sea bass with root veggies. We were also given a light chicken broth-based soup with escarole! Wow! That was NEAT! Also ordered grilled portobello mushrooms and insalata caprese as appetizers. The boyfriend and I had lemon ice for dessert. Oh, and of course Merlot for me.

Here's quite a strange recipe using stuff from Whole Foods. It's comfort food with an ER4YT twist! Kamut bread (purchased in the frozen bread section) and goat cheese as a grilled goat cheese sandwich. First thing I do is take the bread out of the freezer and toast it. Then I make a little sandwich with goat cheese in the middle. I spread ghee on top of the bread for grilling, and voila, even a junk food eating man like my boyfriend will eat it!

Woke up this morning to make breakfast for him. I love playing housewife! Sometimes I wish America were more family-oriented and traditional. Sure, the intellectual side of me might get sick of being at home, but it almost feels instinctual to do laundry and cook, haha!

Anyway, made an excellent frittata using salmon, kelp (yes, kelp!), garlic, and goat cheese. Also bought some nice freshly roasted coffee at Dunn Bros. Ahhhh...but trying to get the boyfriend to understand that whole catecholamine thing and why he shouldn't drink coffee. He doesn't care, he says he needs the caffeine!! Knowing where he works, I don't blame him.

That's all for now. I'll check in later with more adventures....

July 7th

11 am

Arrive at the hospital, which fortunately for me was a five minute cab drive a way. Greeted at the

main reception by an elderly volunteer who scanned his papers for my name and directed me to an available hospital employee who registered me. The young pregnant lady behind the counter, took my info and out of the blue says to me….’you look like a cyclist, have you been watching the Tour de France’. I explained to her it was my prime choice of exercise and that I would probably be spending the next 11 days watching it for I knew I would be spending most of my time on the couch after my operation.

12 pm

I spent the next 45 minutes in a lounge with other day surgery people. Most were coming in for eye cataract operations. There was a young woman beside me who was chatting in an audible tone about her breast reduction operation (a few days of a stay). I found out she was a gymnast and ‘they’ were getting in the way. Read an article in a local magazine about this Dutch sculpture that

had reproduced, using 4 large cylinders and various chemicals, the human digestive system. Each cylinder and it’s enclosed liquid (enzymes, alkaline and acids of some sort) represented the mouth, stomach, large intestine and small intestine with a few other gadgets the represented the liver, pancreas and gall bladder. He would feed it good food (failed to mention what) and would sell the waste…. yes sell it…. to any one who would buy it…apparently there were takers. The article

did mention that the machine did break down on many occasions (obviously fed it the wrong foods or was it sensitive to some food lectins?)

12:30 pm

I finally got changed into some hospital wear with the nice paper slippers and went to see a nurse who asked me if I had taken any herbs or medicines in the last 24 hours, I explained to her that I was taking Horsetail for the last two weeks which kind of raised her brow and I knew a why was coming so I explained to her that My blood type O had blood that did not clot very easily and the horsetail would help. Checked my blood pressure, which was 125 over 80, and my heart rate, which was normal and barraged me with a load of questions re: my health, which I all answered no to. Asked me not to take aspirin after the operation…’blood thinner’.

1 pm

Strapped onto the operation table with my arms stretched out like JC and the anesthetist ready to do his thing. Preceded to give me a mild sedative before putting me out. I warmed him he better put me out soon unless he wanted to hear my rendition of “Roxanne”. What can I say…sedatives make me sing. He took my advice for it must have been 20 seconds before I faded to black.

2:30 pm

I woke up which seemed to me like a second after I went out in another room with a very large bandage protruding out of right side. First words out of my mouth 20 seconds after I was staring at the bandage was…’Morphine Please!’ It took that long for my brain to register the pain and discomfort. Also the room felt more like a meat locker (every O should have one) for it was cold and the nice nurse wrapped me in some very warm blankets. Spent the next 2 hours in a waiting room with many people looking at me with their one good eye wondering what I was in for as the drip finally began to do it’s stuff.

4:30 pm

Time to go home. Apparently a 4-day stay in the hospital followed these operations but because of cuts in budget from our 100% government subsidized health care…everyone gets the same care here in Canada… I was going home 5 hours and some after I came in. I dressed but was unable to get my socks on. Picked up by my Dad…I was not allowed to go home unattended for the first 24 hours…nurse gave me a prescription for Tylenol III for the discomfort. First thing I popped in my mouth were two 500mg tablets of Bromelien after I asked the nurse for a glass of water.

July 11th

8:27 pm

Well here I sit with 5 staples in my lower right gut (always wanted to get my body pierced) thinking how lucky I am living in the 21st century for I’m sure my ancestors say of 200 years or more would have had to live with a hernia and the eventual disfigurement and discomfort and death?

Thanks to everyone who sent me emails…made my discomfort the last 4 days seem a lot more bearable. I feel like going to work tomorrow, but I’m going to call the doctor’s office to see if it’s a good idea this early after the operation.

Hello!

Fun weekend so far. Went to a family get together last night. Had some corn chips (tortilla and dorito kind) and soon after had a pretty twisting stomach ache. The steamed veggies from the chinese place soon made me feel better.

Had lemon this morning, fixed 2 organic eggs, half a slice o' ezekiel bread and some rice and went to a psychatrist. Should be interesting. Carlos and I have an excellent relationship but we'd like to make it perfect. There's always that one thing that they do (or that I do) that just sets you off edge adn you can't figure out why......so, we want to figure it out. Preped myself for an hour (you guys are so lucky - all you have to do is put on a pair of nylon shorts!) and went to a private pool that our friend is working at this summer. VERY nice, very clean and soooo refreshing. Ate an organic blueberry yogurt and some Holgrain Rice Crackers while there. These crackers don't taste like much of anything (after all, only 2 ingredients, rice and salt) but with the yogurt it was great - kinda like when I used to put granola on mine - same effect.

Then a fireworks show - very exciting. I promise to answer some more questions about BTD but I really must get to bed. Have a nice Sunday!

I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank my fellow type A bloggers for being a wealth of inspiration and information. I was in Minneapolis yesterday, and Jennifer and Erika both helped me out in picking a restaurant where I could get a delicious, and compliant, type A meal. Thank you! Paul and Miranda prove to be deeply knowledged in their blogs time and time again as well. So... Thank you too! A special thanks to Erika for providing directional assistance when I turned myself around ass-backwards in downtown Minneapolis!



Ended up having Sushi for dinner last night. Salmon, wakami sea weed, spicy tuna rolls, salmon/avocado rolls, miso soup, Kendall Jackson Cabernet, Saki Bombs, and plenty of ginger and wasabi (wow!) I LOVE sushi!



Stayed up WAY too late last night. I got back into town at about 10:35pm. We (my roommate and I) had gone to pick up a friend at the airport in Minneapolis. Of course, this called for a celebration. Six of us went out to Bennigan's for 2-4-1's and good conversation. We stayed out until 1am... Then it was back to my pace for a few more bottles... Ended up hitting the sack at almost 6 am... Last time I do THAT for a while...



Woke up late today... Juiced (carrots, celery, parsley, green onion, garlic, broccoli, and 2 kinds of kale) Breakfast was interesting. I had an Ezekiel tortilla that I had sprayed some Bragg's liquid Amino's onto. I seasoned w/Herbamare, garlic, dill, cumin (for a Mexican flavor), Nutritional yeast, and a bit of lemon juice and vitamin C powder. Add to this some crumbled tempeh, a 1/2 Tbsp. of olive oil, and most of a ripe avocado diced up. It was a delicious burrito type creation.



I love these Ezekiel tortillas, but, one of the main ingredients is unhulled sesame seeds... I think I was trying to stay away from these... If I'm not mistaken, they are classified as "neutral: allowed infrequently" for type A nonnies in the new cancer book... I'll have to look it up again... I let ya' know! I have 2 more servings of juice. and dinner to look forward too... Probably a light snack near bed time as well... Maybe some half frozen jack fruit? I shouldn't have slept through breakfast... hehehe.



Congratulations to Devorah on getting a Green Star Juicer! You're going to love it!!!!!!! The trick is finding time to juice every day, keeping a stock of fresh veggies, and motivating yourself to actually use it every day! Takes a bit of discipline... Ya' know? Later gang.

The excrutiating pain from my tooth has now settled to a more manageable dull thud.

I can cope with that for now.

Generally my health has been good up until the above problem reared it's ugly head.

It's cold and flu season in the southern hemisphere and one of my work 'mates' has done his bit by sharing something around the office.

I started with the sneezes and a raspy throat late yesterday and am currently trying to drown the symptoms with warm pineapple juice and Vit C powder. Herbal cold and flu tabs and homeopathic Echinacea drops.

It doesn't feel as though it has got any worse in the last 12 hours so maybe having a healthy start on it means I can kick this bug before it gets hold.

Currently doing some on-line browsing for a 17" flat screen LCD monitor. If I vanish for a few days it's because my old 17" CRT beast has given up the ghost, it's showing signs of deteriation.

If I fade to black I'll be back.

Using Ezekiel tortillas, I have taken the lentil walnut pate sold at the Wedge co-op. Topped it with their "macro greens" (also in the deli case) to make a wrap. Simple, wholesome and tasty. And VERY blood-type A friendly.

Well, so far making a political opinion statement in my last blog hasn't completely back-fired on me...if anything I've had good response. I just think that having someone in office who disregards the Geneva Convention, the opinions of almost every other country and even the United Nations for selfish benefit only brings our country closer to terrorist threats. As one bumper sticker reads "We are creating enemies faster than we can kill them" or something like that. People in other countries HATE Americans. We have become the world bully. For me this has little to do with republican vs. democrat. People make this a right wing/left wing argument, but for me it's just common sense. The writing is on the wall. Michael Moore simply took a lasar pointer out of his pocket and pointed to it in hopes that we'd remember it's there. While I do care about my tax money and my rights, I care mainly about my safety. I'm getting scared to keep living here. Call it type A anxiety or what not, but I worry, a lot.

Grrr.....wrote a nice blog in Correl and I have a system error in the copy/paste section of my computer. Would have had it up by now but husband's the only one who knows how to fix it. He won't return 'til much later. Really wanted to have a 7/8/04 blog date.....oh well.......check back in a few hours if you like and I'll have a real blog.......damn computers...........

Today’s (July 8) Ask Dr. D. talked about the disadvantages of being a non-secretor. I’ve been tossing around the theme of non-secretor in my mind for a day or two now, and this seems like a perfect occasion to say that the advantages of being a non-secretor are actually many. Now that I’ve adjusted to the idea that I really am a non-secretor, I feel that it has been a great blessing in disguise.

I think the main advantage is that it definitely helps to keep me more compliant than my secretor friends (by whom I am surrounded). They don’t understand why I make such a big deal about not eating, for example, a few cookies with wheat and sugar from the store (not to mention the multitude of additives) or other such “non-essentials”, but I remember very clearly what price I have to pay for such indulgences, and it’s actually become very easy to simply say “Thanks, but I’m allergic to this”.

Being allergic in some restaurants does get me some extra-special treatment from cooks and servers. I simply look them in the eye and say “I’ll be sick if I eat this” and they bustle around to make sure that it won’t happen, at least, not with their food.

I’ve always been sickly. Recently, my sister sent along a handful of very old family photos – many of them had something written on the back since my mother had sent them to her siblings long ago. In one of them, my 3- or 4-year old face is shaded by a hat, and the note on the back says I was wearing it because I had a “cold”. I had a lot of colds when I was little. And when I grew up. And every year without fail. Today, I know the recurring colds and the tonsilitis and the viruses that visited so very regularly were definitely being given open invitations by not eating for my blood type (which nobody knew about until less than ten years ago). I am very, very grateful that my parents’ native Ukrainian diet included a LOT of beet soup (borscht) and a lot of dairy products - along with the other things that contributed to my illnesses. And I am even more grateful that my illnesses have never risen above the category of colds, flu, headaches or tonsilitis. For a non-secretor, I have been incredibly lucky that my discomforts have remained as discomforts and have not developed further into symptoms of a more serious nature. So far!

The headaches that I get after eating chocolate help me to keep very clearly in the front of my mind the fact that not eating chocolate (even though I love it) is an absolutely wonderful idea.

Being a non-secretor, I tend to succumb to viral infections more easily than my secretor neighbours. However, this has taught me to be vigilant, to pay attention to the smallest symptom of early onset, such as a tingling in the glands behind my ears before the sore throat starts to kick in. If I can catch these symptoms before they erupt into full infections, I can often avoid having to spend time in bed trying to recuperate from the current “bug”. I have discovered, through trial and error, that some remedies are quite effective for this non-secreting body, and that using them as soon as a flag is waved can prevent a few miserable days.

I have also learned, over time, that a great many of my infections simply won’t move off in spite of my best efforts. It could be that I don’t know enough yet about what my body needs in these conditions. I am therefore incredibly grateful to the wonderful Chinese acupuncture doctor who is always willing to see me on a moment’s notice at those times when my voice doesn’t sound terribly human, or my body feels like it might break into two at any moment.

Knowing I am a non-secretor helps me to understand my own personal challenges and to be able to explain them to less educated people (less educated on the topic of secretor/non-secretor, at least). Knowing that there is a scientific basis to my own particular body needs is reassuring. It helps to know that it isn’t something that’s just “in my head” as so many others like to label weaknesses these days.

Knowing how to eat for my non-secretor status will surely keep my body in better shape as it ages (faster every day at this point in time), as well as looking after my physical needs. Knowing I am a non-secretor makes it a lot easier to live in this particular skin with calm and confidence, and that’s a huge positive advantage! It gives the courage to carry on, day after day after day.

I mentioned briefly that a couple of months ago I broke a tooth.

Given my unreasonable fear of dentists there was no way I was going until it was absolutely unavoidable and totally necessary.

I think that time has arrived.

I’ve had a couple of relatively minor sessions of toothache but last night was a doozy.

I had to get up in the night and paint some oil of cloves on the tooth to ease the pain and let me sleep. Today it’s been sore enough to cause me to make the dreaded call. I know it’s my own fault for leaving it this long and the fact that I haven’t been near a dentist for nearly 10 years probably won’t help either.

I know it’s going to be ‘open wide please Paul…….Oh dear Oh dear’

August 30th, what’s that all about ? That’s the earliest appointment I can get. I know it will settle down in the meantime, however if you know any good herbal or BTD compliant remedies for toothache, all donations will be gratefully received.

Oh and best wishes to Mike for a speedy and successful recovery. I'd rather have his operation than go to the dentist.

Wow... The 10,000 Lakes Festival was a blast... Grilling (too much food), drinking (too much wine), and... The music! Awesome! I had a blast. Caught a slight bug from being crammed like sardines, half naked, and covered in sweat (mine, and that of a few hundred other people...) in a crowd of a few thousand when 311 played though... What a great show! I've had little/no time for sleeping lately... Let alone blogging. Sorry! But... I'm back.



Have started using a coffee grinder to grind up golden flax seed (a tbsp. at a time) and mix it with a little juice/water/lemon juice every morning with breakfast, and every night before bed... Gets the bowels movin' and it's an excellent source of Omega fatty acids. Delicious too!



Been juicing sporadically for the past few days... 9+ hour days at work and a million other things have my head spinning... Need to take a day to relax, and get back into a routine... We type A's do well on, and almost need, a good routine!



Eating a lot more carbs as of late. Organic brown rice cakes, Ezekiel tortillas, and Ezekiel bread... Lot's of blueberries too... They're in season, and I love them! Fresh or frozen... Serve 'em up. I probably need the energy the way I've been running around like a crack head... Had a bunch of fresh cut pineapple today. The best I've had in a while to be sure. So sweet... Tasted like a pina colada! MMM..... Bromelain!

I'll get back on the menu routine soon. Just gotta get things sorted out, and set aside some time for it.



To answer a few Q's:



Coconut oil... I've read some amazing things about it. LOTS of amazing things. You'd think it was a miracle food... Ambrosia even... Tastes delicious... Smells like heaven... Anti-parasitic, antimicrobial, medium chain fatty acids, etc... The list goes on and on. But, it's an avoid! All forms of coconut actually... Lot's of people have asked Heidi, and the good Doc about this before... Perhaps new research may change it's status in the future. For now though... I treat it as it's labeled... AVOID.



Shannon... I'm glad you enjoyed the blogs. Thanks for the encouraging words. I TOTALLY know about your apparent lack of will power. I was a smoker for 6 years! I bet ya' didn't know that!!?? Did ya'! I did all kinds of stupid stuff to my body that I'm not very proud of... Used to be a bit on the husky side.... Drank too much, smoked... I'll leave out the rest. What matters is... I've done a 180!

There is a line from a 311 song that I'm very fond of: "In 1993 I was cocaine and Jim Beam, now it's 95' and I'm ginseng." Not to say that I ever used amphetamines, or even liked Jim beam, but... You get the message. You can always change! And hey! A little compliant is better that not following the BTD at all! Your leagues ahead of most people. We all have our caveats! Keep up the good work! And as far as the school thing... I study like a mad man! Reading on all sorts of naturopathic/homeopathic/alternative medicine topics. I'm into some pretty alt. stuff. Will be attending school in either San Antonio, New Braunfels, or San Marcus Texas very soon. I think I'm moving down there as soon as my apartments lease is up... Pretty Excited! It'll be a lot of hard work though... Bring it on!



Thanks to EVERYONE who writes in.... Even just to say, "Hi!" Later gang.

Well, between Super Size Me, Fahrenheit 9/11, and Dodge Ball (yes, Dodge Ball), I have to admit that thoughts of fleeting this country haven't crossed my mind more than once.

Well, everyone knows about why Super Size Me gets me going. But as long as the American public continues to financially support Ronald's Regime (McDonald, not Reagan) aka buy lots of Big Macs, we will continue to see lot of unhealthy people in this country.

Fahrenheit 9/11. I'm sorry. Really I am. Throughout my entire time on this blog I've tried to make it a point to not discuss politics and other topics that cause friction and bad juju. But if you see this movie, and just knowing what we already know about G Dub, we would be fools to vote for him again. Am I out of line saying this? I don't think so. A dear friend of mine who just graduated from law school is in the JAG corps. He was deployed to Iraq two months ago. He wants everyone to go out and please VOTE this fall so this doesn't happen again. That's the point of the 9/11 movie. As a member of the armed forces you sign up knowing you might be killed in combat. But what a waste of a great human being, if THIS OIL-GREED WAR is what brings a bright young man who has been so kind all his life to his death.

If GW wins, I might have to move to Canada. I don't want my hard-earned tax dollars going to this man's elitist war.

Dodge Ball. OK, I like Ben Stiller. He's a funny guy. He's had some great moments in show business. But this movie was a complete waste of my time and matinee money. I decided to check it out because I was hoping to "dodge" the storm system going thru Iowa as I came back to the Twin Cities after a short trip home. Yeah, it had its one liner moments. And then the ending was cute and unusually satisfying. But it was STUPID!!! It was just like anything these days in corporate America, including Hollywood. You could see the sausage factory of comedy before your eyes. Please, please, please, do NOT waste money on this movie unless it's someone else's money. And then when you come back, please apologize to that person you've stolen five bucks from (or, Lord help me, eight bucks for the evening show!) and tell them that you wish deep in your hearts that this money could have gone to charity and not into Ben Stiller's pocket.

If I see Dodge Ball 2 in previews next year, I am DEFINITELY moving to Canada. Or Europe. Or perhaps Australia. Yeah, that'd be quite nice.....

I guess this is why I say America is a short-lived civilization. We've all at once become too lazy, too sick, too comfortable, too wasteful, too dumb, too corrupt.

Back in '97 I was lucky to complete a seven week archeological dig in Ashkelon, Israel. In discussing the digs from previous years during a tour of our dig sites, I came to learn that humans have always been idiots and heathens. The archeologists found the skeletons of mostly female babies in the sewers of the Roman bath/whorehouses. The prostitutes were killing their babies and dumping them with the others. Gosh, where did the Romans go?

OK, well, food. I went to Block E last night and stopped by Applebee's. Had their Weight Watcher's chicken skillet with rice instead of flour tortillas and a glass of Merlot. Read some books at Borders. Went to Cold Stone Creamery and had to have some ice cream. I tried a sample of their cake batter ice cream. Inside my head, was not just an "mmmmmmm" but instead an "mmmMMMMMMmmmmm!" But I still decided on the frozen yogurt base instead of the ice cream. There are three sizes of dishes. Like It, Love It, and Gotta Have It (supersize equivalent). I just Liked It, since I LOVE MY FIGURE more. In the base, I had them place some great BTD ingredients: blueberries, raspberries, peanuts, walnuts, and....hot fudge. And I told them that they should call this creation the "Erika with a K." It was good, but I have to admit, it's not my absolute favorite ice cream. In fact, I really don't eat much ice cream these days. Huh.

Today I rode the LIGHT RAIL for the first time. It's very nice. I took a trip to Manny's Tortas on East Lake street. My Spanish is bad and the lady's English could have been better. I don't know if the pinto beans I ordered on my torta were lard-free. I had the turkey with lettuce, beans, guacamole, tomatos, onions. I have always meant to go to this restaurant because I heard good reviews. But I probably should have settled for the Ethiopian place across the street since I was craving that more.

Then of course, went to Fahrenheit 9/11. Rode the bus home mad at the world. OK, that brings me to writing this blog. That's been my day.

I’m sitting here 6:30 am drinking my customary glass of water to wash out my anabolic debris. It will be my only form of nourishment till about 5pm today…I’m going under the knife for my hernia at about 2pm today.

I’ve been using the post surgery recovery protocol, which is Horsetail (Equisetum arvense), 500 mg: 1 capsule, twice daily and I will be taking Bromelain (Pineapple enzyme), 500 mg: 1 capsule, twice daily after surgery (I’m actually going to double dosage… thanks to Cocky for the suggestion) We’ll see how quickly I can get myself back into a normal routine. My routine has had a set back for I have not done any physical exercise in the last three weeks and I’m feeling like a cro magnon man who has been stuck in his cave unable to go out chasing and hunting after an animal to eat. My mood has been very somber of late due to this lack of hard physical activity.

On another note, I went to pick up my new glasses a few weeks back and I was surprised to find that my eyesight has improved since I last went to get them checked. Hope to post my new “look” soon. When you’re follicley challenged like myself, glasses are like getting a new hair cut (Oh I miss having someone…usually a woman with gentle hands… wash my hair before I sat in the stylists chair)

Well, short blog today…I will report back and give you a summery of my day under the knife.

Allergies.

The BTD isn’t specifically an allergy diet although there are a lot of similarities.

You have to learn what foods make you crook and what foods to use in their place.

Whilst not related to the BTD in anyway a book that proved very helpful to Sue and I both in the way it made us look at BTD but also for Sue’s allergies was ‘The Complete Food Allergy Cookbook’ by Marilyn Gioannini.

I never started BTD to lose weight so eliminating grains from my diet wasn’t the issue. However this book was great in teaching us to think laterally and look outside the square for alternatives.

It contains lots of great recipes for people with all sorts of allergies and if you apply your BTD mind to it lots of suggestions for food alternatives that are BTD compliant.

Tips like using Flax seeds or Psyllium Husk as a binding agent are invaluable.

It should still be in publication and the book details are;

The Complete Food Allergy Cookbook.

Author: Marilyn Gioannini

Publisher: Prima Health

ISBN: 0-715-0051-0

Music: Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen

Mood: Mod

Hello, Hello!!! Hope you all had a good weekend! What did I get to do yesterday? I'm even jealous of myself! :-) We went to a private beach near the Hamptons on a jet-ski. It was amazing!!! I always thought those things were, annoying, loud and obnoxious....until I went on one! So much fun!!! And we were so out in the middle of nowhere so there weren't any people to bother with the noise. An amazing time. It's like your on a ride at Disneyland or an adventure theme park. So cool. Will definitely have to try it again in October. :-D In case you all are scratching your head, yes, I'm getting married in October, again. Long story short, we eloped this February and now all the families want a big party. So, if we're going to have this big party, I want a big, fluffy dress. So, we're having a wedding. Small ceremony and then lots of dancing in the autumn leaves. Should be great. Gotta start addressing all those invites though.......:-O

Food has been delicious, I cooked up a salmon sausage stuffed with spinach and feta cheese from Whole Foods this weekend. Scrumptious. $6.99 a pound up here but REALLY good - a nice treat if you can find it. I just put some lemon and dill on top of mine. Yesterday I took the Peanut Chicken recipe from Cook Right For Your Type and made it with......Turkey Thighs!!! They were on sale and already deboned. I figured, "hey if they can do it with chicken, why not turkey for us AB's and B's out there!" It came out SUPER-DUPER DELICIOUS!!! Another success! Please, if you don't already have this book, you should go out to Barnes & Noble and lock yourself to a bookcase and scream until they give you one. Nah.....just kidding, just go buy one where you can find it or borrow one from your local library. One of the best things I've ever spent money on. My cooking's getting so good that my husband's starting to sweat my skills. Don't be afraid of making the chutney sauce for this one. At first, I was intimidated and thought it would be a lot of work. (I'm very lazy sometimes) But, as long as you have a food processor, it's a snap. Pretty quick to make and tasty.

This morning was lemon water and rice chex in soy milk half an hour later. Had another veggie pizza slice at the parlor near work. Thin crust, little tomato sauce and filled with mozzarella cheese, broccoli, eggplant, and onions. Tried a little bit of my new "Soy Delicious" ice cream when I got home, Chocolate Peanut Butter. My initial reaction was "eeewwww...this isn't ice cream!!!" And I was right, doesn't say ice cream anywhere on the package, just a picture that LOOKS like ice cream and the words "frozen non-dairy dessert." But, after the second bite, I found it surprisingly addictive. I'm glad I have it in case of emergencies. (It does still have a few additive avoids in it) And as long as I don't think of it as ice cream but just something sweet, it's a fine fix for those random cravings.

Going to try the swordfish recipe tonight for the big O and have some more peanut "turkey" myself. Maybe fix those organic collard greens I got. I'll tell you if they taste any different than the commercially grown ones. The organic onions I've used the past 2 days are AMAZINGLY different. Much sweeter and a purer taste I just can't describe. Go try some in your next standard recipe and you'll see a difference. Please email me if you have any questions, I love hearing from you all!!! Hugs and Happy Cooking Vibes!!!

Jul. 6, 04

I’ve decided to try to blog more, but keep the quantity a less. I tend to not blog because it takes me so long to get everything down, and I run out of time and patience. I also want to add a few of my favorite things, successes and struggles to the end of each blog.

Here goes:

The weekend was fine. Fireworks and the circus were the name of the game, and I feel pretty pooped out from the whole thing. My daughter is home this week but we’re pretty busy none-the-less. She has a divisional swim meet tomorrow, and that is pretty exciting all the way around. Though she just turned 6, she will be competing against 7 and 8 year olds. She’s far more calm about it than am I.

I’ve been dabbling in wheat here and there and am making an consorted effort to get away from it. I haven’t been doing much, but not much is still some. I’ve also been a little too into the spelt lately. Though the spelt is better, both still make me feel pretty cruddy. NOTE TO SELF: resist! Resist!

Something I really like: The “surface wipes” that you can buy at Costco. They are bigger and better than similar wipes by Clorox or Lysol and LOTS cheaper.



Something good: The blueberries from Costco have been super this week. The nectarines? Only OK. I have started eating the seeds from the pits of fruit, if it works out easily. I don’t go out of my way to eat them, but I don’t throw them out if I can eat them either.

Something I need to keep doing: t-tapping. It’s making a HUGE difference in how I look and feel.

Something I need to stop doing: stressing about the few bits of avoids that I eat here and there.

A goal – get a new picture for my blogging pic soon. That one makes me look too heavy in the face!

TTFN.

I’ve had a bit of a busy weekend, if you can call it that. Our national day was on Thursday, July 1. Canadians celebrated 137 years of nationhood on that day with a great many festivals, ending in fireworks in the evening all across the country. So for me, it has been a four day weekend, as it was for a great many other Canadians.

In retrospect, for the most part, the weekend was a time of high energy expenditure, which I was very happy to note that I was fit and able to do. I walked extensively each of the four days of this “weekend”- along one of the many city beaches lining Lake Ontario on Thursday; on Friday checking out which library would be nice to call my “home” library after I move soon (I’ll be located in between two very lovely libraries, which is a pleasant prospect); Saturday involved more walking, both in the late morning as well as early evening; and on Sunday walking in a large park (over 400 acres) near my home.

On Saturday, I had occasion to walk along a couple of very lovely little streets situated near the heart of downtown Toronto, close to Kensington Market – my ultimate destination. They were an amazing oasis in this city which can seem relentless on a hot day due to lack of green space. These few blocks illustrated the wisdom of green space in a most wonderful way as well as the possibility of how life can be lived, even in this early 21st century. The neighbourhood is probably 100 +/- years old. The trees reach high above the homes and actually shade the road as well as the street. Gentle breezes swept through the leaves, lowering the general city temperature by a few degrees. Although there were a few lawns here and there, the majority of gardens were of the variety that require no mowing because they incorporate trees, bushes and plants other than grass. That evening, I walked from home to the lake shore, along the lake shore for a short while, and then all the way back again. It is not close, and I was positively impressed with my ability to walk such a distance (resting here and there, to be sure) and not be exhausted when I returned home.

I suppose such activities necessarily create an impression of invincibleness – that one can go on forever, that energy is available abundantly, that memories of low energy days had to be exaggerated, that life will never end, etc., etc. However, Sunday was quite a different day from the others. It rained in the early hours of the morning and in the early evening as well. The skies remained somewhat overcast all day, with high humidity and pollution readings. I thought going to nearby High Park was a good idea since I am obviously in such good shape, and I was absolutely fine - until I got home. I read somewhere in the past week that when polluted air is surrounding us on these low barometric pressure days, we are actually being surrounded by a cloud of tiny invisible particles, which easily enter our lungs. Days such as these sap my energy, making me feel sick, and this was, once again, the net result of exerting myself, even in such a pleasant manner.

The weekend brought valuable lessons. Although I wore a wide-brimmed hat every time I went outside and covered my eyes with sunglasses, I have not been in the habit of using sunscreen, and after several days of longer exposure than is my norm, I ended up with rather unhappy reddened cheeks, to my surprise. This has not happened before. Our atmosphere is definitely disintegrating! Guess who will be buying what, the next time I go to the health food store! I need to be more selective about activities on “smuggy” days – my name for when the smog and muggy conditions combine to make me miserable. I can benefit from following the detoxification protocol outlined in the BTD Encyclopaedia on such days, as well as strictly following my diet in terms of as many beneficial foods as possible, particularly during these difficult summer times. The next few days will have me thinking about a plan of defence for summer pollution. It will be very useful, indeed.

July 4, 2004

I can’t believe that another week has passed by. We have been so busy here at my house, that I can’t tell if I am coming or going. My daughter’s swim season is coming to an end, and I can’t say that I am any too sad about that. I really love watching her swim, and she has racked up a pile of blue ribbons, but I’m very tired of her schedule. That’s the problem with having a child or children late in life – you just don’t have the energy that you do when you are younger.

I’ve been so busy that I really don’t have much important to write about the BTD. I am still sort of experimenting with foods. There is absolutely no question regarding the fact that I feel best without any starches at all. However, that just doesn’t work for me as a complete restriction. I’ve had a few people, including one of my fellow bloggers, state or imply that they are dismayed that some people feel that the BTD causes or triggers eating disorders. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. The truth is that I am closer to eating “normally” than I have ever been in my entire life. I no longer binge. I no longer take diet pills. I no longer obsess. I haven’t been on the scale in ages, and I, frankly, don’t care what I weigh. I care how I FEEL, and the BTD is the one thing that truly can help you to feel better all the way around.

I’ve also had a comment that it appears that I am somehow frustrated with the diet or ticked off at it. I’m not. I hope that people don’t get that impression. I have struggled with an eating disorder, warped body image and other food issues since I was a child. I have to be very careful how I approach ALL diets. The thing that I like most about where I am is that the number on the scale or any other such measure no longer rules me. I would like to wear a size 12, which is a very realistic goal (unlike I have been in the past where I was shooting for a size 8). I am currently a 14/16, and I am happy and satisfied right now. I don’t have to be go anywhere from here to feel good about myself. THAT is a major change in my life.

While I can give the BTD a lot of credit for me being in this place, it really comes from all of my experiences. I have to be very careful and protect my happiness. All diets can create obsession within me, and I am starting to really understand the mechanisms that work best for me. The most important for me is to follow all diets with a modicum of relaxation. If I do so, it becomes a non-issue. The more that I create restriction; the more I create conflict within myself. If I relax and eat what feels best, my life becomes more relaxed and I create more happiness within myself.

I have more to write, but that’s all that I can get down at this point. I hope that everyone has a wonderful holiday. I’ll write soon!

Mood: Happy Relief

Music: Bonnie Tyler: Total Eclipse of the Heart

(If you don't know it - what rock were you hiding under in 1986?)

***

Ahhh....nothing like overly dramatic 80's music to just put you in the mood.....What a good night. FINALLY went food shopping with one of my best friend's, Bernadette, and had a great time. My first trip ever to "Whole Foods." Marvelous store. Check out their website and see if there's one in a 45 min radius of your place; it's well worth it. Mine was only 8 miles away, whoo-hoo!!! It's more expensive than Trader Joe's but has a much wider selection for those of us really reading those ingredient labels on the diet. I'll still go to Joe's for basics that are the same quality but cheaper. At Whole Foods, I was very excited to find kamut and millet puffed organic cereal & raw millet and quinoa in their bulk grain section! And Amaranth!!! Carlos (the O) is psyched!!! I also found organic yogurt cheese, organic colby, low-fat kefir, low-fat goat's milk and lactose-free skim cow's milk. Lots of other good stuff too. All the soy milks still had carrenegan in them though, much to my chagrin, and I didn't see Ezekiel bread but I'll look harder tomorrow (I guess it's "today" at this hour, right?) We got there late and only had an hour and a half to look at the WHOLE store. (It's a lot to take in at first and get your bearings) The two of us agreed that our 4th of July should definately start off with more food shopping tomorrow @ 11am. Thank goodness for girlfriends, Carlos would have gone nuts after 35 minutes.....:-)

The organic basil was calling our name in the store. So fragrant, so beautiful, so....expensive. Worth the money. I had been meaning to make the cauliflour puree and it went so perfect with it. It's also excellent on pasta or on top of couscous.......I used it on a little bit of everything for dinner tonight :-) The only thing was, I ran out of walnuts so I took the soy nuts I had hanging around, used half of what they called for and it turned out great. So yummy.....definately check it out....it's on page 324 of Cook Right For Your Type.

Musical interlude: Natalie sings to herself...."bomp, bomp,.....I guess you're just what I needed! I needed someone to feed.....bomp, bomp....I guess you're just what I needed! I needed someone to please...." Listening to "The Cars" now and it's pretty appropriate. (as well as a favorite tune:-)

Anyways, very tired and hoping that we make it to the beach after food shopping. Carlos has been lovely lately. We had a nice long chat today and are working on making more of an effort to be there for each other. Ahhhh....I love a man who talks and tells me what's up. He called me while Bernadette and I were out and said he wanted to buy me flowers but was afraid they'd die by the time he got home. And then said some more romantic things. He sounded drunk, hence the strange logic, (family party....I love it when he doesn't make me go to those things! I swear they have one every other week.......too many cousins) but it's the thought that counts, right?

Another Saturday and it’s too wet to get in my beloved vegetable garden.

We’ve had 185mm [7”] of rainfall in June. On the West Coast of Tasmania some areas have had over 450mm[18”] of rain in the last 30 days. Its no wonder Tasmanian rainwater is reputed to be the purest in the World, there’s plenty of it.

At Cape Grimm in the furthest North West point of Tasmania rain clouds haven’t crossed land since they left Tierra Del Fuego in South America. Take a look on an Atlas and see for yourself. Unfortunately our reticulated drinking water is no better or worse than any where else in the ‘civilised’ world, after it’s been treated with this and that.



If you see bottled Tasmanian rain or spring water, buy it, try it, you’ll like it.

It’s been too cold to drink my full quota of water straight from our filter today so I’ve been adulterating it. I have an old English style half pint beer mug and I put about an inch of pineapple juice followed by a squeeze of lemon juice and top it up with water. One minute in the microwave and I have an instant ready to drink fruit ‘tea’.

YES I SAID MICROWAVE.

I don’t subscribe to the theory that the microwave is the spawn of the devil. I’m sure at the beginning of the last century the mass media, such as it was then was touting the very same message about the electric oven. It will shrink your testicles or you’ll grow a third nipple, you know the type of thing. I’m sure that Mr Belling or Mr Hotpoint were both treated as the devil incarnate when they first developed the electric stove.

Like most things sometimes you have to show a little faith and trust in what you are doing. A bit like the BTD actually. I’m sure when you first started people looked at you askance and though “Oh yeah he/she is of on another one of his/her trips”. What are they doing now they can see it’s a success, trying some of the ideas I’ll bet.

Well, until my ears turn green or my eyes glow red at night I’m using a microwave, and there’s been no extra nipples or noticeable shrinkage.

TTFN

Leaving now to go to the festival. I have packed cod loins to grill, a cliff bar (carrot cake flavor), green onions, onions, cherries, blueberries, brown rice cakes, Geni-soy soy crisps, a bottle of home made juice, 3 gallons of water, green beans, some juicer pulp mixed w/assorted condiments, an avocado, a plum, and thta's about it... See you guys later!!!!

July 1st is Canada’s birthday as a nation…we’re 137 years old today

To commemorate the day I thought I would tell you some funny food jokes. Why…because Canada is famous for producing funny people…Mike Myers and Jim Carry to name a few. Here goes…

No meat on Friday

When Ole quit farming, he discovered that he was the only Lutheran in his new little town of Catholics. That was okay, but the neighbors had a problem with his barbequing beef every Friday. Since they couldn't eat meat on Friday, the tempting aroma was getting the best of them. Hoping they could do something to stop this, the neighbors got together and went over to talk to Ole. "Ole," they said, "since you are the only Lutheran in this whole town and there's not a Lutheran church for many miles, we think you should join our church and become a Catholic." Ole thought about it for a minute and decided they were probably right. Ole talked to the priest, and they arranged it.

The big day came and the priest had Ole kneel. He put his hand on Ole's head and said, "Ole, you were born a Lutheran, you were raised a Lutheran, and now," he said as he sprinkled some incense over Ole's head, "now you are a Catholic!"

Ole was happy and the neighbors were happy. But the following Friday evening at suppertime, there was again the aroma of grilled beef coming from Ole's yard. The neighbors went to talk to him about this and as they approached the fence, they heard Ole saying to the steak: "You were born a beef, you were raised a beef", and as he sprinkled salt over the meat he said, "and NOW you are a FISH!" (He must have been a very strict O Lutheran type)

The Atheist and the Shark

There is this atheist swimming in the ocean. All of the sudden he sees this shark in the water, so he starts swimming towards his boat.

As he looks back he sees the shark turn and head towards him. His boat is a ways off and he starts swimming like crazy. He's scared to death, and as he turns to see the jaws of the great white beast open revealing its teeth in a horrific splendor, the atheist screams, "Oh God! Save me!"

In an instant time is frozen and a bright light shines down from above. The man is motionless in the water when he hears the voice of God say, "You are an atheist. Why do you call upon me when you do not believe in me?"

Aghast with confusion and knowing he can't lie the man replies, "Well, that's true I don't believe in you, but how about the shark? Can you make the shark believe in you?"

The Lord replies, "As you wish," and the light retracted back into the heavens and the man could feel the water begin to move once again.

As the atheist looks back he can see the jaws of the shark start to close down on him, when all of sudden the shark stops and pulls back.

Shocked, the man looks at the shark as the huge beast closes its eyes and bows its head and says, "Thank you Lord for this food for which I am about to receive..."

(I wonder if we humans have a lectin that reacts badly with the Sharks blood when eaten?)

You Know You Have Had Too Much Coffee When... (A’s, B’s and AB’s beware)

*Juan Valdez names his donkey after you

*You get a speeding ticket even when you're parked

*You grind your coffee beans in your mouth

*You sleep with your eyes open

*You have to watch videos in fast-forward

*You lick your coffee pot clean

*Your eyes stay open when you sneeze

*The nurse needs a scientific calculator to take your pulse

*You can type sixty words a minute with your feet

*You can jump-start your car without cables

*Your only sources of nutrition comes from "Sweet & Low"

*You don't sweat…you percolate

*You've worn out the handle on your favorite coffee mug

*You go to AA meetings just for the free coffee

*You've worn the finish off you coffee table

*The Taster's Choice couple wants to adopt you

*Starbuck's owns the mortgage on your house

*You're so wired you pick up FM radio

*Your life's goal is to "amount to a hill of beans"

*Instant coffee takes too long

*You want to be cremated just so you can spend eternity in a coffee can

*You name your cats "Cream" and "Sugar"

*Your lips are permanently stuck in the sipping position

*Your first-aid kit contains two pints of coffee with an I.V. hookup

*You can recite all the beneficial, neutral and avoid foods for your blood type before the Ezekiel bread pops out of your toaster.

After yesterdays drama and dummy spit, today went smoothly.

Stock take was completed in record time thanks to the preparation I was able to put in yesterday. It's amazing what you can do when you're cranky.

The sun shone weakly for a couple of hours this morning and this enabled us to count the outdoors areas before a cold front hit just after lunch, howling gales and lashing rain.

Tassie in Winter, gotta love it.

Thanks to all who responded to my food aliases the other day in particular Jack who has clarified my Capsicum conundrum for me. It appears that whilst we call peppers Capsicum in Australia it is actually part of the Latin genus name.

The sweet pepper commonly known as Capsicum here is actually 'Capsicum Annum' and the hot ones we call Chilli Peppers are 'Capsicum Frutescens'.

To all those people asking about Secretor status. It easy to obtain but you have to send a sample away to be tested. In the USA test kits can be ordered through NAP by following the links at the top of this web site. I believe there is a lab in the UK that does it for European residents and I did mention in an earlier blog the details for Australia.